The Food & Beverage (FAB) Group, a subsidiary of DEAL Holdings, is expanding its portfolio of international hospitality brands through a regional partnership with London-founded Kricket, with plans to introduce, develop and operate the restaurant concept across the GCC. Kricket will make its debut in Dubai at Vida Emirates Hills, establishing its regional flagship and marking FAB Group’s first restaurant launch. The announcement represents a significant milestone for both groups, as FAB Group expands its portfolio of international and homegrown hospitality concepts and Kricket embarks on its international expansion.
Founded by Rik Campbell and Will Bowlby in 2015, Kricket began as a 20-seat restaurant in a shipping container at Pop Brixton. It has since grown into a group of four London neighbourhood restaurants, combining regional Indian cooking and seasonal British ingredients with modern and traditional techniques. Its Soho restaurant earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in its first year, establishing Kricket’s culinary credentials as it expanded beyond its Brixton beginnings.
Kricket’s journey from a pop-up to an established London name provides a strong foundation for its international expansion. As Kricket’s regional partner, The FAB Group, led by Chairman and Founder Mr Abdulla Mohamed Al M’heri, brings the brand to a new market, working with Kricket’s founders to retain its distinctive culinary identity and character. Vida Emirates Hills offers an established residential catchment, with surrounding communities, golfers, hotel guests and visitors providing a natural audience for a restaurant designed to become part of local dining and social life.
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 plans, FAB Group is responsible for introducing Kricket to the market and establishing its operations across the GCC. The Group’s role encompasses market-entry strategy, site selection, restaurant development, culinary and beverage adaptation and localisation, and day-to-day operations. Working closely with the brand’s founders, FAB Group aims to translate Kricket’s established identity into a restaurant that feels at home in Dubai.
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 Will Bowlby, Kricket’s Co-Founder and Executive Chef, with Colin Clague, FAB Group’s Global Culinary Director & Partner, supporting its local and regional adaptation. Bowlby brings Kricket’s distinctive cooking philosophy and established London favourites, while Clague contributes extensive regional culinary expertise, including executive chef roles at leading restaurants and hospitality destinations such as Burj Al Arab, Zuma Dubai, Q’bara, Jean-Georges and Rüya. Together, they are building on Kricket’s established culinary identity while shaping an expanded offering tailored to the Dubai market.
Kricket Dubai will bring the contemporary Indian cooking and sharing-led style for which its London restaurants are known. Its menu draws on India’s diverse regional culinary traditions, combining recognised Kricket favourites with carefully considered additions and adaptations for the UAE. The focus is on distinctive flavours, creative combinations, and a relaxed approach to dining, with the culinary team developing a broader proposition for Dubai that reflects both Kricket’s established character and the regional market’s tastes and expectations.
Colin Clague, FAB Group’s Global Culinary Director & Partnersaid: “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 form a major part of the Dubai restaurant, complementing the food and adding to Kricket’s lively, sociable character. Guests can meet for drinks and share a selection of dishes at the bar, or enjoy a full dining experience in the restaurant, making Kricket as relevant for informal gatherings as it is for dining.
With its London neighbourhood spirit at the centre of the concept, Kricket at Vida Emirates Hills aims to become a familiar local favourite. Its setting offers access to residents, golfers, couples, friends, hotel guests and visitors from the wider area. The regional flagship will introduce a celebrated London restaurant to one of Dubai’s most established and popular residential communities, with FAB Group focused on making it part of the neighbourhood’s everyday dining and social life.
