AN INTERVIEW WITH KRICKET'S WILL BOWLBY

Chef Will Bowlby is the man behind Kricket, one of London’s biggest success stories of recent years. His balanced, beautifully spiced, Indian-inspired dishes have earned him rave reviews, a legion of hungry fans and three sites across London. We sent food writer Imogen Leper to talk with Will about spices, street food and staying calm under pressure.

---
Katto (K): What are some of your fondest food memories from childhood? 

Will Bowlby (WB): My first food memories are at my grandmother’s house in East Sussex. She lived in Uganda for years and mainlined in amazing Anglo-Indian curries: generally beef with thick gravy. She also did a mean bacon and tomato sandwich, which is still my favourite breakfast.

K: What appeals to you about Indian cuisine? 

WB: Before I moved to India I knew nothing about its cuisine. But wherever you go, you’re surrounded by food. From a street corner to people’s houses, you can’t escape the smells – they’re intoxicating. Certain dishes we serve at Kricket directly reference those memories. For example, chaat (a mash up of veggies, rice, pulses and chutney), which is sweet, sour and spicy. I also love how varied Indian food is and the fact that every region has its own speciality. 

K: What did you learn from moving to Mumbai by yourself as a 24-year-old, both in the kitchen and out of it?

WB: I was very young and inexperienced to be in charge of 20 chefs, most of whom couldn’t speak English. It felt like a crash course in management because I was under so much pressure. It took some time to realise that losing my temper wasn’t the way forward and staying calm yourself is the only way to keep a team calm. Whether ordering food or trying to get somewhere, life in Mumbai is always challenging. I really learned that patience is key – so much so that I got it tattooed on my wrist as a reminder.

K: Do you have any advice for people cooking Indian food at home?

WB: The first thing to know is how to treat your spices. Whole spices need to be handled differently from powders: you tend to use whole ones towards the beginning of a recipe while garam masala is more of a seasoning and should be added towards the end. The second thing is how to cook your onions. Generally, if cooking a meat curry, you want to caramelise your onions really well to give a deep, sweet flavour. With fish, cook onions to the point of translucency instead, so the flavour is less overwhelming.

K: What’s it like having a business partner who is also a close friend from university? 

WB: It’s a worry, but if you both have the same goals and continue to honour them no matter what, it stands you in good stead. Rik (Campbell) and I have been working together for six years now and we’ve done a really good job of maintaining our friendship outside work. Although we’re very different, we know we both have the businesses’ interests at heart. I also think accepting each other's flaws rather than trying to fight them is key.

K: What would you say to people who think it’s problematic for an English chef to be cooking Indian food?

WB: There will always be those who raise their eyebrows at a white chef cooking Indian food and I understand that. But I justify it by how much thought goes into what we do. Our dishes are heavily researched, and I try to pay as much respect to provenance as I can whilst also putting my own spin on things. A good example is our version of a galouti kebab, which I first tried on the street in Lucknow. We recreate it by treating whatever meat we have in the same way the street vendors do: we massage it and mince it repeatedly. However, then we take the extra step of wrapping it in caul fat, which is inherently British. While I feel justified in what I'm doing, I’m always open to listening to other opinions.