As with so many pioneering food movements Hayley and her husband Matt found, the initial thinking behind The Protein Ball Company had been inspired by the strident wellbeing and healthier living movements that had been slowly gathering pace across North America for some while.
“Eleven years ago we could see that ‘protein appreciation’ was gathering momentum but wanted to create something different from the reams of indistinguishable looking protein bars that offered meaningful protein boosts whilst turning a blind eye to other responsible ingredient choices. Flip over a protein bar next time you’re in a supermarket of petrol station and study the worrying jumble of cheap emulsifiers, sugar alcohols and chemistry set offerings masquerading as real ingredients; ingredients detrimental to our microbiome and wider health.”
Hayley describes herself as an ‘ahead of the curve’ biohacker politely obsessed with making lifestyle changes to maximise one’s physical and mental wellbeing, a move inspired by the far-reaching insights of Shazzie’s ‘Detox your World.’
“We decided from the outset that The Protein Ball company would be in charge of its own production destiny and to this day we continue to adopt a ‘hands-on,’ commercial kitchen approach that still rolls in excess of 700,000 balls a day whilst servicing 18 export markets and 10,000 new USA retail points secured in 2025.“
Managing one’s own manufacturing facility is no easy feat however it enables us to protect our minimally processed integrity, whilst ensuring a regular stream of innovation that simply wouldn’t be feasible within a third-party framework. It also creates a proud ‘in in together’ mindset throughout our team that fills us with pride.’
For our proud family business like ours 2025 was a pivotal, ‘step change’ moment, because any brand still going strong after 10 years is always going to be indeed of a little tlc recalibration and message buffing.”
The Protein Ball rebrand in 2025 was all about underpinning what enables the business to stay ‘proud from the crowd,’ a bold, confident and energized new look that brought together classy product photography and an uncompromising tone of voice under a gritty ‘ballsy by nature’ banner.
This was also the perfect moment to initiate clear segmentation within the far-reaching range, underpinning the fact that Protein Ball contests a number of distinct need states that encompass fibre-rich and plant-based to low sugar and original.
Simply put, this is packaging that doesn’t shy away from showcasing its clean ingredient priorities and even includes the signatures of Hayley & Matt back-of-pack to reaffirm that this is a small, family operation that cares deeply about what goes in and stays out of every perfectly proportioned bite.
They always say that packaging is your no.1 marketing tool and head-turning retail wins such as Caffe Nero, WH Smiths travel hubs and most recently David Llloyds gyms certainly support our case.
Historically The Protein Ball Company was a brand that has enjoyed a lot of white label success, which is all well and good, on the proviso that one doesn’t take one’s eye off the hero brand. Looking back, Hayley and Matt now realise that perhaps they were a little slow out of the blocks refreshing the hero brand, because the momentum since their brand facelift has been nothing short of inspired; with new markets like Austria, Germany and the Netherlands expanding at speed.
“I’m sure every brand has a ‘this is our time’ moment but Matt and I truly feel there is now genuine positive impetus behind our ambitious business. Today, ultra-processed protein bars are under more scrutiny than ever and ‘format fatigue’ is very much a thing. In an age where consumers now understand better than ever about portion control, structured snacking during ‘energy low’ moments, sticky claggy bars that need to be consumed in one sitting are looking a little old-school.”
In addition, it’s estimated that 1.6m UK adults embarked on weight loss drugs in 2025 a number that is forecast over the next year. Protein balls provide the perfect grazing nibble for smaller appetites that can be consumed throughout the day as opposed to one sitting.
Naturally any business that has being going 10+ years is going to experience a few bumps in the road from failing to convey to our International markets the unfathomable joy of creating a Cherry Bakewell bite that no-one outside our shores understood to a so-called ‘supportive customer,’ who was kind enough to leave us with £160k of unwelcome debt!
That said Hayley confirms that highs far outweigh the lows and that there’s a simple to-do list when it comes to staying on the right path.
“My top tip is to stay real, commit to being different, albeit not for being different’s sake, whilst committing to producing only something that you’d feed to your own family! Stay true to your convictions and never relent for a short-term win. Be bold, fearless, don’t dwell on the downsides and be suitably proud of the key wins.”
The Protein Ball Company is proud to continue giving equal weighting to flavour and function whilst taking a stand for ‘proud as punch’ disruptors, a mantra that continues in 2026 with the eagerly anticipated arrival of a NEW, two-textured Stuffed sub-range that blends rich chewy outers with velvety smooth cores.
