Miyoko Schinner (née Nishimoto) is an American entrepreneur, chef, cookbook author, and founder of the dairy-free goods company, Miyoko's Creamery.[2] She is a leading advocate for the right of vegan food products to use traditional meat and dairy terms on their labels.[3]

Miyoko Schinner
Schinner delivering keynote address at Animal Equality Gala 2017
Born	Miyoko Nishimoto 1957/1958 (age 64–65)[1] Japan
Occupation	Vegan Chef Cookbook Author Vegan Activist
Language	English
Nationality	Japanese
Citizenship	US
Alma mater	St. John's College
Literary movement	Vegan
Notable works	The Now and Zen Epicure and The Homemade Vegan Pantry
Spouse	Michael Schinner
Children	3
Website
miyokos.com

Early life and education

Schinner was born Takano Miyoko in a village outside Yokohama, Japan. At age seven, she moved with her mother to the United States. She graduated from St. John's College in Maryland.[4]

Career

Schinner transitioned to eating vegan in the mid-1980s.[5][2] During the 1990s, she taught vegan cooking classes, and in 1991 The Book Publishing Company published her first vegan cookbook The Now and Zen Epicure.[6] In 1994, she opened the vegan restaurant Now and Zen in San Francisco, which eventually expanded into a natural food company of the same name, which was sold in 2003.[7] Schinner has launched a number of vegan brands, such as UnTurkey, which she exhibited at the 1995 Natural Products Expo alongside competitor Tofurky, and Hip Whip.[2]

Book Publishing Company published her Artisan Vegan Cheese cookbook in 2012. That same year she began co-hosting PBS cooking show Vegan Mashup, with Toni Fiore and Terry Hope Romero.[8]

In 2014, Schinner launched vegan cheese company Miyoko's Kitchen, later renaming it Miyoko's Creamery.[9] Tofurky founder Seth Tibbott was the company's first investor.[10] In 2016, the Specialty Food Association reported the company had "grown 300% year over year," and "they recently signed on to a new 28,000+ square-foot headquarters in Petaluma."[10]

In 2015, Ten Speed Press published Schinner's The Homemade Vegan Pantry.[11] In 2019, the cookbook was named one of the Best Vegan Cookbooks by Good Housekeeping magazine.[12]

In 2015, Schinner founded the nonprofit Rancho Compasion farmed animal sanctuary in Nicasio, California.[13]

In 2018, Melaina Juntti of New Hope Network described Schinner as a "vegan rock star".[5] Schinner was among 28 women featured in PopSugar's "28 Women Changing the World Right This Second" list, a project backed by UN Women.[14]

In 2021, Schinner was included in the inaugural Forbes 50 Over 50 list.[1][15]

Schinner has been involved in legal challenges over product laws that regulate vegan food labeling, with Schinner arguing the laws violate free speech.[16][17][18]

Honors and Awards

Personal life

Schinner is married to San Francisco attorney Michael Schinner. She has three adult children, Aki Chambers, basketball player; Sera, and Cammy, the latter of whom often assists her mother with her video shoots.

Cookbooks

• The Now and Zen Epicure, Book Publishing Company, June 1, 1991 (as Miyoko Nishimoto)
• Japanese Cooking: Contemporary & Traditional [Simple, Delicious, and Vegan], Book Publishing Company, Aug 19, 1999 (as Miyoko Nishimoto Schinner)
• The New Now and Zen Epicure, Book Publishing Company, September 1, 2001 (as Miyoko Nishimoto Schinner)
• Artisan Vegan Cheese, Book Publishing Company, Aug. 8, 2012 (as Miyoko Schinner)
• The Homemade Vegan Pantry: The Art of Making Your Own Staples, Ten Speed Press, June 16, 2015 (as Miyoko Schinner)
• The Vegan Meat Cookbook: Meatless Favorites. Made with Plants, Ten Speed Press, May 11, 2021 (as Miyoko Schinner)

See Also

• Miyoko's Creamery
• North American Vegetarian Society

References