Not Your Average Suit - Will Bowlby
If you’re familiar with the hustle and bustle of London’s restaurant scene then you’ll have heard of Kricket, the renowned Indian restaurant that first opened in 2015 and now has three permanent locations in some of the most sought-after locations in the city. We sat down with one of Kricket’s founders, Will Bowlby, to talk about what it takes to stand out from the crowd when it comes to entrepreneurial success.
What started off as an adolescent ambition of owning a restaurant one day, has turned into something much bigger. What led Will here? Taking as many opportunities as possible, consistently pushing himself and knowing that as an entrepreneur he will be forever learning. “Put yourself out of your comfort zone and learn and experience as much as you can so that you can carve out your own style,” Will advises. “You have to accept that it’s a hard and demanding job with no shortcuts.”
“Put yourself out of your comfort zone and learn and experience as much as you can so that you can carve out your own style,”
So, why Indian food? Will spent some time living in India and was struck by how much there was to their food and how it is such an integral part of people’s lives there. “The country’s size, history and its cultural variances make what you’re eating incredibly varied, no matter where you go. I wanted to showcase my interpretation of that when I returned back to London.” And to those that might question how well an English person can actually cook Indian food? “Anyone can do it. It’s just about understanding the basics and respecting the heritage. I don’t promise that our food at Kricket is authentic, but I do my best to respect and honour the ideas that shape the dishes that we put on the menu,” he explains.
“The country’s size, history and its cultural variances make what you’re eating incredibly varied, no matter where you go. I wanted to showcase my interpretation of that when I returned back to London.”
Will acknowledges that having guidance from the right people is a crucial piece of the founder puzzle, and cites family support as one of the most valuable assets in his success. He pays that guidance forward these days, by recruiting young male and female chefs from abroad, particularly India. “It’s been so refreshing hiring young, enthusiastic and talented chefs. I hope the experience and guidance that they get from us gives them the opportunities to reach their goals. I believe that under the guidance of the right mentor, you can train yourself to do anything.”