SPOTLIGHT ON: CLAIRE HINDLEY

Claire's Amazeballs owner Claire Hindley's enthusiasm for whizzing up healthy, homemade energy balls is infectious. We hear how she's created an award-winning business, all based from her kitchen in Marlow.

Tell us a little about your work and your background. Which one? Haha! I’m the owner and producer of homemade, healthy balls that taste amazing! Claire’s Amazeballs. Based in Marlow, Bucks. I am also an ex-dancer, now dance teacher and Pilates matt and reformer instructor. Plus a mum of 3!

What made you decide to start your business After moving to Marlow from Nottinghamshire, I had children and naturally found myself in the kitchen more. I began to whizz a few ingredients in the blender with the aim to create clean, healthy family food. As a Dancer and Pilates instructor, I would readily purchase other leading energy ball brands to complement my active lifestyle but they were short-lived with my palate and my purse - I also did not really understand the ingredients on the labels. Hence, I decided to start making my own and Claire’s Amazeballs was born!

Where do you find inspiration and new ideas for recipes?

I schedule time in the kitchen for ‘playtime’ but also look for seasonal foods and what is current. For example, my Festive Balls at the moment have all the flavours and spices of Christmas with pecans, brazils and pumpkin seeds. My summer ball is Strawberries and Cream. I also now have a following of subscribers who make suggestions. Each recipe is about less is more, so anything too fancy or which has lots of ingredients I discard. I like to challenge myself to create products big in taste from little ingredients. Colour and texture are also important. Describe your typical working day Ummm…hard to describe as I wear lots of different hats in the week. A ‘Claire’s Amazeballs day’ begins after I have got my three girls up and out to school and preschool. Batch-making in the morning… often listing to a podcast, then out for deliveries and the afternoon is spent picking up admin and orders, or taking some photos.

Post school pick-up, teatime and bedtime, I usually return to do packaging and processing orders. Then washing and set up for the next day. Crazy but fulfilling days!

What has been the biggest highlight and challenge to date? Winning Great Taste Awards for six of my flavours. Also my Mixed Box won the Best Healthy Snack 2021 with Health & Wellbeing Magazine. The challenge is juggling my time and stepping outside the business to see how it can grow.

Best nugget of wisdom you can share with your fellow Creative Ducks? Enjoy what you do, and don’t worry too much about where it will go. Whenever I have becoming consumed with the business side of things, it doesn’t grow… be yourself and be passionate and just share what you love doing. Also be organised!

Where can we find out more? Insta @clairesamazeballs Website www.clairesamazeballs.com Also Claire’s Amazeballs is on notonthehighstreet.com I have recently done a podcast with The Lunchbox Doctor where we talk more about my journey and the nutritional benefits of Claire’s Amazeballs.