Wickles Pickles The South’s Finest Pickles STORY BY BETSY ILER PHOTOS COURTESY OF WICKLES PICKLES
Wickles Pickles continues to elicit pride from the locals, as this homegrown startup pickle producer with a great story now includes 15 popular varieties that are distributed nationwide, including two new products that were released last year. Sims Foods, mother company to the Dadeville pickle brand, was founded by brothers Trey and Will Sims as a means of staying close to the community in which they were raised. Trey started selling stocks and bonds in Atlanta after college, but after the first year, he knew it wasn’t the career for him. “I just wanted to get home,” the Dadeville native said. So he called his brother, Will, who had just finished photography school in Montana and proposed that they partner up to make pickles from a recipe that had been in the family for 90 years. Tagged as the South’s best pickles, the recipe for the original Wickles
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Pickles was a closely held family secret for more than four generations until the brothers purchased it and in 1998 started making pickles in a Dadeville warehouse. The following year, they brought in Andy Anderson and six years later moved production to North Carolina to keep up with the growing demand. They moved production back to Alabama a couple of years ago, and the brand now includes an array of pickled okra, peppers and relishes, as well as a line of T-shirts, hats, aprons, towels and even a Wicked Pickle Christmas ornament. While other food industry companies fell on hard times during the COVID-19 pandemic, Anderson said data indicates the company has grown. “I think people being at home opened them up to venturing out to new supermarket finds and that people in Alabama and surrounding states have continued to tell their family and friends about Wickles Pickles,” Anderson said. While the South remains the largest distribution region, the brand’s presence is growing all around the country, especially in the Northeast and on the West Coast, Anderson added. In late summer last year, Wicked Garlic hit the market. These whole cloves in a sweet brine offer a mild flavor and are a great addition to any charcuterie or cheese tray, explained Anderson. “The flavor is kind of like a roasted garlic,” he said. “We’re also very excited about the Wickles Hula Pickles, which are a mix of our Original Wickles Slices, chunks of pineapple and sliced jalapeno.” The Hula Pickles were launched in the fall for the holiday season. Anderson said they could pop up the flavor of tacos, sandwiches and even pizza. Check out the recipes at wicklespickles.com/recipes for more on how to use all of Dadeville’s own Wickles Pickles products.
WE MAKE IT GREAT HERE! | FEBRUARY 2022
