OUR GOODNESS GOES BACK TO
THE TURN OF THE CENTURY.
WE’RE TALKING TWO TURNS AGO.

How it all started

The year was 1913. Jean Demakes had just emigrated from Greece to join her husband Thomas in the United States. And the foundation for a family business was inspired by four little words:

“I can do better.”

That’s what Jean said to her husband after he brought home the “best Greek sausage in Boston.” She knew she could do better, and when Thomas gladly accepted her challenge, a far better sausage is exactly what Jean made.

It was so good, in fact, they began selling it to nearby stores. And over time, their four sons helped them grow sales, expand their product line and give back to their community.

Four generations have passed and we still own and operate our family business in Lynn, Massachusetts. More importantly, doing better is still the foundation of everything we do.

It’s what inspires us to always take the time to do things right. To never cut corners for the sake of higher profits. And to build personal relationships with farmers so we know where our ingredients come from.

Food with such integrity isn’t the easy way, it’s the right way. The way we’ve been doing things for over 100 years.

We give back

Our commitment to giving back has been around since the very beginning. Thomas Demakes believed it was important to do more for those who have less – to share and give back, even if that meant giving away a Thanksgiving turkey to a family in need.

Yes, Thomas believed a dinner of vegetables, beans and no meat for his own family was a fair sacrifice. He was always one to lead by example and share his good fortune with others. And that tradition is still alive and well in how we do things today.

We will always embrace our responsibility to help others in our community, whether it means donating food to local pantries, charities and outreach programs or offering support to YMCAs, Girls Inc., boys’ and girls’ clubs and other organizations in our area.

After all, we have children. We know the importance of nurturing young minds and teaching the meaning of teamwork, developing friendships and imparting values that will last a lifetime.

USDA Organic

WHAT DID WE CALL OUR NON-GMO,
ORGANIC TURKEY BREAST IN 1914?
TURKEY.

Organic History

In 1914, the only way to farm was the way mother nature intended. Cows grazed on grass, chickens scavenged for scraps and the use of antibiotics or growth hormones was never even a consideration.

Simply put, turkey was just turkey. Roast beef was just roast beef. And no one ever thought to ask about the ingredients in their foods.

Things have changed a lot over the years, yet we’ve stayed as close to our original roots as possible. And our old way of doing things in once again the new (and better) way.

Reducing Our Carbon Footprint

We are dedicated to reducing our carbon footprint in every way possible.

It’s the reason we’ve completely overhauled our primary manufacturing facility with more efficient lighting and ultra-low furnace emissions.

It’s why we’re testing out electric cars with our sales teams and have applied to participate in our state’s solar and wind energy programs.

It’s the inspiration behind our decision to replace our entire fleet with trucks that operate on low-sulfur fuels and achieve much better mileage. An investment that saves the environment thousands of tons of carbon every month.

As we move forward, we will continue to develop products that can be made with minimal impact to our environment. It’s our commitment to you, our community and our planet.