Captain Ken's Foods Inc.

In the summer of 1943, Ken Freiberg began his career as a firefighter in St. Paul, Minnesota. In 1953, he was promoted to Captain of Firehouse Number 14 (located at the corner of Snelling Avenue and Iglehart Street in St. Paul, Minnesota) where it was traditional for each fireman to cook meals for their fellow firefighters. Captain Ken’s specialty was oven-baked beans. Word spread and people from miles around would stop by the fire station hoping to sample some of Captain Ken’s mouthwatering oven-baked beans.

Ken sold his first dish of oven-baked beans to the public from a food stand he opened at the Minnesota State Fair in 1964. A few years later, Ken retired from the fire department to start his second career at the young age of 55. He began baking beans for the retail market from the apartment where he and his wife lived. He never looked back. 

Today, over 35 years later, Captain Ken’s Foods, Inc. follows the same process of soaking beans overnight, then slowly oven-baking them in commercial-sized ovens. In addition to introducing new baked bean recipes, the company’s line of products continues to grow and now includes several chili recipes, Sloppy Joe, au gratin potatoes, taco meat, meatloaf and macaroni & beef, and much more. 

All of Captain Ken’s products are fully cooked and packed frozen since only freezing captures their homemade flavor and nutritional excellence. All are made with the same care and attention as Ken’s first dish of oven-baked beans. Try our products and we know you will be back!