10 things you might not know about Wickles Pickles

This is an updated version of an articled published in 2017.

Thanks to their signature sweet heat flavor, Wickles Pickles has developed a serious following of hungry customers across the state and beyond.

Since Wickles Pickles first came onto the market in 1998, the pickles have become a necessity for diners looking to add a zesty crunch to their meals, snacks and more. There are also those who have been known to enjoy Wickles straight from the jar, and we can’t really blame ‘em.

And while tangy pickles have made a name for themselves across the country over the past two decades, they got their start right here in Alabama.

Want to know more? Here’s things you might not know about Wickles Pickles.

Wickles Pickles are a popular Alabama brand. (Photo courtesy of Wickles Pickles)Wickles Pickles

Wickles Pickles Fact #1

Wickles Pickles may have officially started in 1998, but the recipe, which includes a top-secret custom blend of spices and other ingredients, has been around for 90 years.

Wickles Pickles Fact #2

Trey and Will Sims, along with their friend Andy Anderson, started Sims Foods, Inc., based in Dadeville, Ala., in order to mass produce a family pickle recipe. They got the recipe from the Sims’ cousin, Dana Ferniany, and her husband, Will.

Wickles Pickles Fact #3

In the beginning, the small company started producing an average of 27 hand-packed cases of pickles a day.

Wickles Pickles Fact #4

While you can find Wickles Pickles all over the country these days, it wasn’t always so. In 2000, Bruno’s was the first supermarket chain to begin carrying the pickles after the company donated jars of pickles for gift baskets as part of a fundraiser hosted by the Birmingham-based grocery store.

Alabama dictionary — In Alabama, some words and phrases have a meaning different from anywhere else.Amber Sutton

Wickles Pickles Fact #5

What does the “Wickles” in Wickles Pickles mean? It stands for “Wickedly Delicious Pickles,” of course.

Wickles Pickles Fact #6

In early 2024, Wickles Pickles announced the company was sold to Fenwick Food Group, an operating platform for food businesses that include Alabama’s Moore’s Marinades. Its headquarters are in Birmingham.

Dadeville, Ala.-based Wickles Pickles and Asheville, N.C.-based Hi-Wire Brewing have collaborated on a new Wickles Pickles Beer.(Photo courtesy of Hi-Wire Brewing; used with permission)

Wickles Pickles Fact #7

You won’t just find Wickles Pickles at grocery stores. They’ve been used in dishes all around Alabama, as well as partnered with other popular brands, including a Wickles-topped burger at Jack’s in 2022 and a Wickles Pickles beer by Hi Wire.

Wickles Pickles Fact #8

In 2021, Wickles Pickles were selected as the “official pickle” of the Portland Pickles, a collegiate summer baseball team out of Portland, Oregon. Attendees could enjoy pickles on a stick and “pickletinis” as part of the game concessions, according to the Williamette Week.

Bacon-wrapped Wickles okra at The Waverly Local in Waverly, Ala.(Photo courtesy of The Waverly Local; used with permission)

Wickles Pickles Fact #9

You can also find Wickles on the menu at many Alabama restaurants, including the bacon-wrapped Wickles okra at The Wavery Local and Wickles-boiled peanuts at the Alabama Peanut Co.

Wickles Pickles Fact #10

Wickles may have started out with a single recipe, but these days there are more than 15 products in the Wickles line, including Wicked Okra, Dirty Dills and even Wicked Hula Pickles, which combine Wickles pickles with sliced jalapeños and pineapples.