The Food & Beverage (FAB) Group, a subsidiary of DEAL Holdings, has partnered with London-founded Kricket to introduce and operate the restaurant concept across the GCC.
Kricket will make its regional debut at Vida Emirates Hills in Dubai, marking FAB Group’s first restaurant launch and the brand’s first step into international expansion.
Founded by Rik Campbell and Will Bowlby in 2015, Kricket started as a 20-seat restaurant in a shipping container at Pop Brixton. It has since grown into four London restaurants, known for combining regional Indian cooking with seasonal British ingredients and modern and traditional techniques. Its Soho restaurant earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in its first year.
Led by Chairman and Founder Abdulla Mohamed Al M’heri, FAB Group will work with Kricket’s founders to bring the concept to the GCC while retaining its culinary identity. Vida Emirates Hills, with its surrounding residential communities, golfers and hotel guests, will provide the setting for the brand’s Dubai flagship.
Abdulla Mohamed Al M’heri, Chairman and Founder of FAB Group, said: “When evaluating international restaurant brands for the region, we were looking for more than an established name. Kricket stood out for its distinctive interpretation of Indian cuisine, strong identity and success in London’s competitive restaurant market. The brand’s experience in expanding and evolving its restaurant concept, while maintaining its distinctive identity, makes Kricket a compelling addition to our portfolio. Securing the Kricket rights reflects FAB Group’s ambition to introduce established brands with genuine potential in this market. Vida Emirates Hills is an ideal setting for Kricket’s regional flagship, at the heart of a thriving community where we believe it can become a regular favourite.”
As part of its regional expansion, FAB Group will oversee Kricket’s market entry and operations across the GCC, including site selection, restaurant development, menu localisation and day-to-day management. Working with the brand’s founders, the Group aims to bring Kricket’s established identity to Dubai while adapting the concept to the local market.
Rik Campbell and Will Bowlby, co-founders of Kricket, said: “Kricket began in a small shipping container in Brixton with a simple idea: to explore the diversity of Indian cooking through our own contemporary approach, drawing on regional flavours, ingredients and techniques to create something distinctive. That philosophy has remained central as we have grown across London. Bringing Kricket to Dubai is an exciting next chapter, particularly in a market with such an established appreciation of Indian cuisine. We want to retain the character, creativity and informal spirit that have shaped Kricket while creating a restaurant that feels genuinely connected to its new community.”
The culinary offer is being developed by Kricket Co-Founder and Executive Chef Will Bowlby, with FAB Group’s Global Culinary Director and Partner, Colin Clague, overseeing its regional adaptation. Bowlby brings Kricket’s signature cooking style and established London favourites, while Clague draws on experience at leading hospitality destinations including Burj Al Arab, Zuma Dubai, Q’bara, Jean-Georges and Rüya.
Kricket Dubai will bring the contemporary Indian cooking and sharing-style dining of its London restaurants to the UAE. The menu will combine signature dishes with new additions and adaptations, drawing on India’s regional cuisines and seasonal ingredients while catering to Dubai’s dining scene.
Colin Clague, FAB Group’s Global Culinary Director & Partner, said: “When we first began looking at restaurants to bring to the Middle East, Kricket was one of the first that came to mind. I have always admired Will’s approach to Indian cooking, staying true to its regional flavours while bringing a fresh, contemporary perspective and creative combinations that give Kricket its own identity. Dubai already has an incredible Indian dining scene, from traditional favourites to high-end restaurants, but Kricket occupies a space of its own. Will and I are working closely to preserve the dishes and cooking philosophy that have made the restaurants successful in London, while developing an extended menu for Dubai. With thoughtful regional adaptations, an extended bar and beverage offering, coupled with a relaxed, sociable atmosphere, I believe Kricket will bring something genuinely different to Emirates Hills.”
The bar and beverage programme will complement Kricket’s food offering. Guests can meet for drinks and small plates at the bar or enjoy a full dining experience in the restaurant.
Bringing its London neighbourhood feel to Vida Emirates Hills, Kricket aims to become a local dining destination for residents, golfers, hotel guests and visitors.
