Five minutes with Kricket’s head chef, Will Bowlby

Ruby Dumbrell

Ruby was the resident marketing executive at delicious.

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We’ve been chatting to Will Bowlby, co-founder and chef at Kricket; the adventurously modern Indian restaurant taking the London dining scene by storm. We decided to ask him what he’d do in the unlikely event that he got stuck on a desert island and which special guests he’d invite for a dinner party…

Five minutes with Kricket’s head chef, Will Bowlby

Originating in Pop Brixton and now boasting three permanent locations (Brixton, Soho and White City), it’s safe to say Kricket – with its perfect marriage of classic and non-traditional Indian ingredients – has secured itself a top spot on the list of London’s best Indian restaurants. We caught up with the restaurant’s head chef Will, to find out about his first memories of food and who he idolises in the industry.

What’s your first memory of food?

When I used to go to my grandmother’s house, there were a few things that she always used to cook that has stuck with me – bacon and tomato sandwiches, curries and her famous beef stew. Plus, my mum’s Chinese chicken salad has to up there as well.

What’s the recipe you can’t live without?

It’s not so much a recipe, rather a dish that I know so well and go back to so often, my mum’s chicken in a pot. A one-pot dish is always the first meal I have when I go home to my family – its nostalgic, easy to make and delicious.

Like Will, we’re also a big fan of one-pots.

What’s the food you’d miss the most if you were stuck on a desert island?

I’m a big a meat eater. When you think of the variety of meat that you can get out of a pig, it makes me think that life without pork would be quite tricky but what I often crave is good-quality beef… so it would definitely be one of the two!

Will claims he simply couldn’t give up beef. Our ultimate guide to beef ensures perfectly roasted joints every time.

You can have a one-off dinner party on your desert island… who would you invite?

In order… Tupac Shakur, Elvis and Anthony Bourdain. 2pac was a visionary and had plenty more to say before he tragically died and therefore wouldn’t be short of words, nor would Anthony Bourdain, Elvis, I’ve loved since I was young, and he’d be sat next to me lending advice and entertaining.

Which cookbook would you take with you to your desert island?

Probably the Larousse Gastronomique. It’s the culinary bible and there won’t be anything in there that is missed technically. It takes a long time to read through, so it will last me a while.

Discover more about Kricket; from the restaurant’s iconic Keralan Fried Chicken (KFC!) to their moreish kulcha breads, this is a restaurant which has to be on your London bucket list.