Among the fastest-growing frozen lasagna and frozen meatball brands in the U.S., Minnesota-based Simek’s delivers homemade taste, quality ingredients and bold flavors to simplify mealtimes.

Backed by the tradition of providing quality frozen food products since 1972, Simek’s offers premium lasagnas and fully cooked meatballs free from artificial colors, artificial flavors and preservatives. Its latest addition of a new kid’s food line provides mini meatballs for little fingers that parents can feel good about serving to picky eaters. With the added convenience of being ready in as little as 15 minutes, Simek’s makes it easier than ever to enjoy delicious, wholesome meals.

Lindsey Hickey began working for the brand in 2008, and in 2010 became a co-owner and CEO. She proudly led the organization through their B Corporation certification in 2022, making Simek’s the only women-owned frozen food brand in the U.S. with this certification.

The Simek’s story has certainly changed over the years – how has transitioning to a CPG company allowed the brand to prosper?

Transitioning to a CPG company has opened the door for us to grow in ways that weren’t possible before. It’s allowed us to bring our delicious, high-quality frozen products to more families nationwide, all while staying true to our mission of giving back with each purchase.

With the right retail partners who believes in what we’re building, we’ve been able to scale intentionally, reach new audiences and expand our impact in a big way. And while our story has changed and our footprint has grown, our team has stayed scrappy, passionate and focused on doing things differently in the frozen aisle. At our core, we’re still the same purpose-driven brand, just with a much bigger platform to make a difference.

How are Simek’s products manufactured, and what sets them apart from the competition?

At Simek’s, we partner with trusted co-manufacturers across the U.S. who share our commitment to quality, food safety and responsible sourcing. This model allows us to stay nimble and focused on what we do best: delivering delicious, high-quality frozen products made with simple ingredients you can feel good about.

We’re deeply involved in every step of the process, from recipe development to ingredient sourcing, ensuring that every product lives up to the standards our customers expect. Our R&D approach is grounded in what today’s families are really looking for: convenience without compromise, flavor without additives and food that makes a difference.

What sets us apart is our unwavering commitment to quality, taste and purpose. Our products are made from high quality ingredients without artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. And with every purchase, we donate a meal to someone in need. It’s this combination of thoughtful sourcing, intentional partnerships and mission-driven innovation that continues to differentiate Simek’s in the frozen aisle.

What are some of Simek’s key sustainability initiatives?

At Simek’s, sustainability is one of our core values and a guiding force in how we operate. We’ve taken meaningful steps to reduce our environmental impact, including our partnership with rePurpose Global to certify our packaging as plastic neutral. By measuring our plastic footprint across packaging and shipping materials, we’re able to offset that footprint by funding the removal of ocean-bound plastic. To date, we’ve removed over 186,000 pounds of plastic from nature which is the equivalent of more than 15 million plastic shopping bags.

In 2022, we became a Certified B Corporation, which reflects our commitment to using business as a force for good. It holds us accountable to high standards of social and environmental performance and pushes us to constantly evaluate how we can do better, for our customers, our communities, and the planet.

These initiatives are part of our bigger picture to create real, lasting impact beyond just what’s on the plate. Because to us, doing good and making good food go hand-in-hand.

Simek’s aims to make an impact beyond the plate, with over 10 million meals donated since the program began. Tell us more about the mission behind the company’s ‘Eat Good. Do Good.’ slogan?

Simek’s ‘Eat Good. Do Good.’ is the foundation of who we are. From the very beginning, Simek’s was built around the idea that good food should do more than feed your family, it should create real and meaningful impact. That’s why, through our partnership with Feeding America, we donate a meal to a local food bank for every product sold. And we truly mean local, we give where you live.

Each meal donated stays within the community where the purchase was made, helping support the neighbors, towns and cities that support us. To date, we’ve donated over 13.7 million meals and counting. With Simek’s, every purchase has a purpose.

Simek’s last year debuted an antibiotic-free lineup of meatballs and is always looking for ways to satisfy picky eaters – what’s on the horizon for the company in 2025 and beyond?

At Simek’s, everything we do starts with listening to our consumers. We’re constantly evolving based on what today’s families want and need from their food. In 2024, we introduced our antibiotic-free meatball lineup and we’re building on that momentum in 2025 and beyond.

One of the biggest areas of focus right now is responding to feedback around sodium levels. We’ve heard our consumers loud and clear, and we’re already taking steps to reduce sodium across select products. Looking ahead, we’re exploring new product varieties and innovations that maintain our commitment to clean labels, high-quality ingredients, and great taste.

We’re also expanding distribution with both existing and new retail partners to support scale and maintain our high standards.

At Simek’s, we’re more than just a frozen food brand, we’re a team of real people building something that matters. Owned and led by a mom of four and powered by a small-but-mighty crew of women, we’re juggling real life, just like our consumers. We’re caregivers and creatives, snack-packers and spreadsheet pros, all united by one goal, to make food that makes life easier and creates meaningful impact.