Chef of the Week: Will Bowlby, Chef Patron at Kricket in London

How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
Since day one in June 2015.

Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
When Jamie Oliver came on TV, that got me interested. My grandmother was a great cook as well so I learnt a lot from her, my mum too. I was self taught until I got my first break at Le Cafe Anglais.

What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
The creativity, the constant learning and the ability to make people happy with food.

Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Salt, butter and eggs.

Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
Thermomix.

What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Zero waste, open fire cooking, Middle Eastern and Chinese.

What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Thinking you’re better than you are.

What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Spring, for its lamb, green vegetables and fish.

Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
Our pumpkin and butternut squash dish in the restaurants.

How do you come up with new dishes?
I get inspiration from everywhere, but I like to be lead by ingredients first and foremost, whatever is best and available at the time.

Who was your greatest influence?
Rowley Leigh.

Tell us three chefs you admire.
Pierre Koffmann, Michel Roux Jr and Nuno Mendes.

What is your favourite cookbook?
Larouse Gastronomique.

Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Johnnie Collins, Freddie Woodruff and Alice Norman.

What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
The Lightbar.