Some of the chicken on Sparrow’s menu comes from Mary’s Free-Range Chickens, a California family farm whose story is what happens when a family decides to do things right, even when it is harder and more expensive. For diners across Kirkland and the Eastside, it is part of why Sparrow’s poultry dishes taste cleaner and more like real chicken.
Three Generations of Family Farming Since 1954
The Pitman family has been raising chickens since 1954. The company is run today by third-generation farmers David and Ben Pitman, who learned animal husbandry from their father Rick, who learned it from his father Don. That unbroken line is the whole point: a deliberate decision, generations ago, to walk away from conventional industrial poultry and rebuild around animal welfare and real flavor.
Why Air-Chilling Makes Better Chicken
Mary’s chickens are air-chilled rather than water-chilled. In the industry-standard water-chill method, birds sit in chilled chlorinated water and absorb it, which dilutes flavor and adds weight you end up paying for. Air-chilling keeps every bird independent, helps inhibit the spread of bacteria, and adds no water at all. Nothing is injected and nothing is added, so you taste 100% natural chicken flavor and juices. The method also saves roughly 30,000 gallons of chlorinated water every single day.
A Range of Carefully Raised Birds
Mary’s raises several lines to different standards, including antibiotic-free, USDA Organic, slow-growing Heirloom, and Legacy chickens. Every one is free-range, raised with no antibiotics ever and no added growth hormones, and fed a vegetarian diet. That range lets a kitchen like ours choose exactly the right bird for each dish.
Certifications You Can Trust
Mary’s poultry is audited by multiple independent third parties, including Certified Humane, the Global Animal Partnership, USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, Halal certification, and the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety. Few poultry producers in the country carry this depth of verification, and it is a big part of why we trust them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is air-chilled chicken?
Air-chilled chicken is cooled with circulated cold air instead of an immersion water bath. It absorbs no added water, which means purer chicken flavor, better texture, and no watered-down meat.
Is Mary’s chicken humanely raised?
Yes. Mary’s is Certified Humane and audited by the Global Animal Partnership, among other programs, and the birds are raised free-range with no antibiotics ever.
Is anything injected into Mary’s chicken?
No. Nothing is added or injected. Mary’s fresh chicken contains only its own natural juices.
Where can I try Mary’s chicken on the Eastside?
Sparrow in Kirkland serves dishes built on Mary’s free-range chicken, just minutes from Bellevue and Redmond.
Learn more about the Pitman family’s farm at maryschickens.com.
Mary’s is one of two poultry families we trust. Meet Draper Valley Farms → | See all supply partners → | Reserve your table →