A mum-of-three from Marlow who launched a vegan energy ball business five years ago is celebrating it being named among the best plant-based food in Britain.

Claire Hindley founded Claire’s Amazeballs from her home in Marlow in 2019 when she decided to take an unfruitful search for healthy snack options into her own hands.

After giving birth to her third daughter, the Bucks local began making the organic energy balls by hand – with flavours ranging from ginger and cashew to chilli and cacao making for a colourfully compact product range.

Five years in business have seen Claire’s passion project soar in popularity and critical acclaim, scooping multiple Great Taste Stars from the Guild of Fine Food and winning a Health and Wellbeing Magazine Award for its mixed box earlier in 2021.

Recognition for the eight-ball mixed box, which includes the cranberry brazil and lemon turmeric flavours, by the Great British Food Awards this week has struck the deepest resonance yet, however.

Claire, who also works as a pilates and dance teacher, said the awards, which are judged by a blind panel of celebrity chefs, restauranteurs and food critics, were unique in highlighting “the finest artisan produce in the country and the hard-working people behind the scenes”.

The mixed box was given a bronze Great British Food Award by BOSH chefs and authors Henry Firth and Ian Theasby in the vegan food category on Monday, October 28.

READ MORE: ‘Vital’ footbridge set for £72,000 repairs project

Claire said: “It is a real pleasure to be recognised as the best vegan food in Great Britain – a real moment for us as a small business based in Marlow.

“It’s also a proud moment as a mum-of-three who juggles pilates and dance teaching alongside leading this company into new territory in the food world.

Claire and her youngest daughter (Image: Claire's Amazeballs)

“Our goal is to help people make healthier snack choices and we are succeeding!”

Her love of small energy balls – “high in energy and nutritious” – dates back to a childhood in Nottinghamshire during the 1980s miner’s strike, when “food shopping was about quantity, not quality”.

Studying dance and training as a pilates instructor further sparked this passion and by the time Claire found herself living in Marlow with three kids, sharing her love of healthy and convenient snacks was an obvious choice.

Alongside her other work, the multi-hyphenate said she remains committed to feeding “dancers, athletes and people who want to focus on their health and wellbeing” as well as, of course, “those just looking for a tasty treat”.

To learn more, visit https://clairesamazeballs.com/.