The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) hosted a vibrant Taste of Cricket event at Shepherds Bush Cricket Club.
This event, part of the ECB’s wider summer campaign, coincided with Shepherds Bush’s annual Memorial Day Caribbean Cricket Match.
The club welcomed new and diverse communities, celebrating efforts to make cricket more inclusive.
Sponsored by Remitly, these special match tea events across England and Wales aim to highlight the stories of community clubs and volunteers improving access to cricket.
Instead of the traditional sandwiches and milky tea, Shepherds Bush CC featured a variety of Caribbean dishes, including Jerk Chicken and Rum Cake, aligning perfectly with the England Men’s Test Series against the West Indies.
Celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott, TV presenter Chris Bavin, and England cricketer Chris Jordan were on hand to prepare the day’s dishes.
Harriott, whose career includes being the Head Chef of the Long Room at Lord’s Cricket Ground in the 1990s, found the event a delightful return to his cricketing roots.
Shepherds Bush CC has long promoted diversity and inclusivity in West London. Their efforts include a flourishing Women & Girls’ section, strong ties to its African-Caribbean heritage, and providing access to cricket for local children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The club collaborates with the cricket charity Platform, sending coaches to local schools, and offers bursaries for equipment, ensuring cricket is accessible to all.
Remitly will offer 100 community clubs promoting diversity and inclusion a chance to participate in Taste of Cricket. These clubs will receive hampers with supermarket vouchers, picnic goodies, and recipes to enhance their own match tea events.
Later this year, the Taste of Cricket cookbook will launch, featuring beloved classics and innovative match tea recipes from grassroots volunteers, cricket and foodie celebrities, including Harriott and Bavin.
Ainsley Harriott shared his enthusiasm for the event, saying: “Today was a wonderful example of how food brings together cricketing communities around the world.
Cooking up the Jerk Chicken alongside Chris Bavin and Carl Menzie, and hearing about the recipe’s close ties to the club’s vibrant heritage was an absolute joy.
Thank you to Shepherds Bush Cricket Club for opening its doors to us today – I loved meeting its members and hearing their stories about the club’s longstanding impact on the wider community.”
Chris Jordan, who is currently playing for Southern Brave in The Hundred, reflected on the event: “Having the opportunity to tour the world and experience different cuisines and cultures through the iconic match tea is really special and completely unique to cricket.
Being at Shepherds Bush Cricket Club today, sampling the amazing food that defines the club, and meeting the members that make such an impact on its culture was an incredible experience.”
Will Speer, Chair of Shepherds Bush Cricket Club, expressed his pride in hosting the event: “We were delighted to invite the ECB to host its Taste of Cricket event at the club.
Our Memorial Cricket Game, that celebrates members past and present as well as being a celebration of the club’s heritage, acted as a perfect backdrop to the day.
Here at Shepherds Bush Cricket Club, we have worked tirelessly for a number of years to ensure that cricket is accessible to all and that our club is diverse, inclusive and welcoming to everyone.
Taste of Cricket was a vibrant showcase of the diversity within our club, featuring the amazing food that regularly brings our family, friends and community together during the summer months.”
Kate Miller, the ECB’s Chief Communications Officer, highlighted the unique bond between cricket and food: “Being one of the only sports that breaks play to eat, cricket and food are intrinsically linked.
Shepherds Bush Cricket Club has a long history of welcoming players from all corners of the world, making the club a natural partner for our Taste of Cricket campaign.
Today was a brilliant celebration of this profound connection and the power it has to unite communities, both this summer with our Taste of Cricket event series, and beyond with the cookbook.”
For more information about the Taste of Cricket campaign, visit ECB – Raising the Game.