Jen Johnson and Serafina Palandech

Jen Johnson, left, and Serafina Palandech, Hip Chick FarmsPhotograph by Jay Watson
  • Name
  • Affiliation
    Hip Chick Farms
  • Title
    Co-Founders

Chicken fingers and Chez Panisse aren’t terms that are usually associated with one another. But Palandech and Johnson, the couple behind Hip Chick Farms, are bringing a sustainable ethic to the world of frozen chicken dinners. Johnson, a former Chez Panisse chef, develops the recipes, which include spicy wings, meatballs and nuggets, using ethically raised birds from a local Sonoma farm. “Frozen foods don’t tend to be superhot items in the marketplace, but we’re a premium product,” says Palandech. The chef-driven, sustainably sourced recipes are especially appealing at a moment when consumers and retailers alike are paying more attention to the quality of their food. In early 2015, Hip Chick was in 300 stores; by the end of the year, it will be in 1,200.