By Neha Mehrotra
24-year-old Will Bowlby was offered a job cooking European food for Indians in Mumbai. Two years later, he returned to the UK to cook Indian food for Londoners and launched Kricket in 2015, one of London’s biggest success stories of recent years. His balanced Indian-inspired dishes have earned him rave reviews and three sites across London.
This January, the chef graces Mumbai’s Magazine St. Kitchen, a hub of culinary innovation set to redefine the city’s gastronomy scene. The Chef Series events, including the historic Indian premiere of Kricket, promise extraordinary experiences. We sat down with Chef Will Bowlby to discuss the menu curated for this tasting experience, his culinary style, and what he’s looking forward to most in India.
What’s your first memory of food, and what inspired you to be a chef?
Chef Will Bowlby: My first memory of food stems from my grandmother’s house in Uganda, where Sunday roasts and flavorful curries were a weekly delight. My grandmother’s recipes and my mother’s culinary skills shaped my early culinary experiences, and they were my first real taste of delicious, home-cooked food.
I was 10 years old when a chef named Jamie Oliver came onto the scene. He was young and energetic and made cooking accessible to everyone, particularly a younger audience. Watching him at that young age, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.
During your tenure in Mumbai,what were some significant lessons you learned, both in and out of the kitchen?
Chef Will Bowlby: When I first came to Mumbai, I was quite young and relatively inexperienced, especially considering I was in charge of running the restaurant, so I had to quickly pick up management skills. In the kitchen, I led a team of about 20 Indian chefs, some of whom didn’t speak English. So I had to learn how to manage communication, work with diverse ingredients, and adapt to local produce. I also had to adjust my original menus and cater them to the Indian palate when preparing European dishes. Overall, the biggest lesson I learned is that life can be unpredictable. And a place like Mumbai can seem overwhelming at times, particularly when you’re on your own and you’re young, so you need to learn how to deal with situations. It’s a city that I adore now, but I come with a different perspective from what I used to have, and I think patience is a massive part of that.
As Kricket makes its debut in India at Magazine St. Kitchen, can you highlight some signature dishes that you’ll be presenting?
Chef Will Bowlby: The dishes are designed to be shared because that is the way people tend to each other in India; it’s about communal dining. The main event is a celebration of mutton, cooked and razed in Kashmiri style with milk and saffron, and then it’s going to be grilled and glazed, served with some meat-stuffed parathas. We are also going to serve a smoked oyster from Goa, with a granita made from chilled tomato rasam, a Himalayan trout that we’re going to cure and grill, as well as signature dishes from the UK, including Kerala Fried Chicken.
We have also curated a vegetarian menu, and a lot of our produce is sourced from The Table Farm, Alibaug. Our offerings include grilled aubergine with chickpea miso, squash papdichat with fermented pumpkin, and, for dessert, founde burnt cream with sesame.
What were the most important considerations when crafting the menu?
Chef Will Bowlby: The most important thing is that we give diners a great experience. I have a huge respect for the history and culture of India, as well as the food. So the most important thing for me is to respect that heritage. But at the same time, hopefully giving the guests something a bit different—our interpretation of Indian food. Also, there’s a big element on the grill with the oyster smoke, the lamb ribs, and the breads.
How would you describe your culinary style?
Chef Will Bowlby: I would say it’s simple. I don’t like to put too many items on the plate. It’s produce driven because I believe that without good produce, it’s a lot harder to create a good meal. And also hopefully full of flavour.
How do you balance the fusion of Indian and British flavours without losing the authenticity of each cuisine?
Chef Will Bowlby: Kricket, being an Indian restaurant group, prioritises authenticity in the flavours of each dish. This involves delving deep into the origins of a dish, understanding its original taste, and the reasons behind its creation. The goal is to present it in a fresh way when necessary. Additionally, the British aspect is reflected in the use of local seasonal ingredients and sourcing meat and fish sustainably from British suppliers.
What are your go-to dishes and spices when cooking at home?
Chef Will Bowlby: I struggle to cook too much at home, so comfort food for me would be my mother’s chicken in a pot with rice. My go-to spice would be black cardamom, which is an interesting spice. Also, the huge variety of chilies with different flavours and spice levels is very interesting to explore. I think peppercorn is effectively the original king of spice. It’s become a little bit mainstream in some respects, but if used correctly, it has a huge impact.
Lastly, what are you looking forward to the most during your time in India?
Chef Will Bowlby: The upcoming five-and-a-half-week trip is in Mumbai, and I get to bring along 15 of my colleagues. Many of them haven’t experienced India before, and it’s crucial to me that they grasp the reasons behind our culinary endeavours and gain a profound understanding of the country. I believe this exposure will greatly enhance our work in London. The opportunity to share the beauty of India with my team is undoubtedly the most exciting part of the journey.
What inspires me the most is the incredible generosity and spirit of the people. It’s a universal experience, wherever you go. The country’s vastness adds to the fascination, as each place has its own unique characteristics, offering continuous learning opportunities, especially in the realm of food. Regardless of how many times I’ve been to India, there’s always something new to discover, making it an intriguing experience.
