In case you hadn’t heard, Tree Island Yogurt is now available at Costco locations across Vancouver Island!
But here’s the thing, it’s a trial.
If you’ve been following along, you know we’ve been making yogurt in small batches on Vancouver Island for over a decade. We’ve always been proud of that, from the slow kettle cooking and the grass-fed milk from family farms to the recipes we developed with our own kids as taste testers.
We’ve also been very realistic about our reach as what started as a small operation. For a long time, this meant our shelves mostly being in independent grocers, co-ops, and specialty markets.
When Costco gave us the opportunity to prove ourselves on their shelves, we said yes. Could we scale up without compromising what makes Tree Island -Tree Island? Would our yogurt still taste the same? Would we still know every farm our milk comes from? Absolutely!
But now we need to show Costco that there’s a place for local, grass-fed yogurt in their warehouse stores.
Month 1 – Strong Start!
We launched at three Vancouver Island Costco locations (Courtenay, Nanaimo & Victoria) and hoped shoppers would like what they saw.
What we didn’t expect was for how much excitement we saw out there! – thank you 🙂
Such a loving response from our community reconfirmed that people on the Island care about want real food for their families. That Canadian grass-fed milk and wholesome full fat yogurt matters to families making choices for their households.
Why This Trial Matters
Being at Costco, even on a trial basis, means a few things.
First, it’s more convenient for our customers. If you’re already there stocking up on groceries, you don’t -have to- make a separate stop to a specialty market to find Tree Island. We’re right there in the dairy section.
Second, it’s accessible. Our container sizes work for families who go through yogurt quickly, for meal preppers who use it in recipes all week, or for anyone who just wants to stock up and not think about it for a while.
And third, and this is the part we’re most excited about, it means more people get to try yogurt made the way we think it should be made. Whole milk. Live cultures. Real fruit puree. No shortcuts, no gelatin, no wondering what’s actually in the container.
We’re Still the Same Tree Island
Here’s what hasn’t changed, and won’t change, no matter how many locations we add to our map: The way we make our yogurt.
Every batch will always start with 100% fresh, grass-fed milk from small family farms on Vancouver Island. We’ll still use the slow kettle method, heating the milk gently and letting the fermentation happen over several hours. We’ll still keep our sugar levels low. And we’ll still test every batch ourselves before it goes out the door.
Being at Costco, or any other grocer, won’t change our recipe. It will just give us a chance to share it with more people.
How You Can Help
If you believe in local food, if you care about how your yogurt is made, or if you’ve been a Tree Island family for years, here’s how you can support us during this trial.
- Pick us up at Costco. Even if you usually shop elsewhere, grabbing Tree Island at Costco during this trial period shows them there’s demand for what we make.
- Tell your friends. Word of mouth matters. If you love Tree Island, let your neighbours, coworkers, and family know we’re at Costco now.
- Tag us on social. When you grab a container, snap a photo and tag us @treeislandyogurt, and @costco_canada. It helps us show Costco that the Island is paying attention.
Every container that leaves a Costco shelf right now is a vote for keeping us there. And we don’t take that lightly.
If you’ve been buying Tree Island at your local grocer for years, thank you for sticking with us. We’re still there too.
If you’re new to Tree Island, kindly visit these Costcos if able. (Alternatively, you can also find us at other grocers here)
Either way, let’s work together to make this trial a permanent spot for Tree Island Yogurt.
Current Trial Locations:
Costco Wholesale Courtenay: 588 Crown Isle Blvd, Courtenay, BC V9N 9W8 (Get Directions)
Costco Wholesale Nanaimo: 6700 Island Hwy N, Nanaimo, BC V9V 1K8 (Get Directions)
Costco Wholesale Victoria: 799 McCallum Rd, Victoria, BC V9B 6W5 (Get Directions)
