Anyone for cricket?
#ComeBimbleWithMe in a different kind of London
by Crispin Kerr-Dineen
Jumping into the unknown in life is never easy. But that is exactly what the brave and bold Andy Waugh did in 2011. Andy headed south, in a van, with a fridge load of his Dad’s highland venison. He knew it was incredibly tasty produce and he was confident that he could cook and sell it in London. This proved to be an overriding success that ultimately became Scottish restaurant and butcher, Mac & Wild in London’s Fitzrovia. Jump forward a decade and Andy has a new love: cricket.
This is a Bimbleworthy tale of how Andy and business partner Callum, created something rather unusual but really very cool. The clue is in their Sixes slogan: eat, drink, bat. 😉 Yup. Cricket.
The Sixes Cricket Club is pioneering this kind of hospitality which brings a whole new meaning to the word ‘gaming’.
What makes this pub unique is its cricket simulators. The Sixes works with BatFast, who supplied them with two simulators for the Fulham club, catering for competitive leaderboards between a group of up to six people. Building on that, Sixes have created an app which allows you to track your data and performance in the simulator across multiple visits to the Club, so if you’re competitive, you might just need to drop in for a couple of extra pints a week!
Although the two founders love cricket, their first passion was food! As I mentioned earlier, Andy and Callum have been running a successful Scottish restaurant and butcher for some years called Mac & Wild. Their signature burger, the Venimoo, was voted ‘best burger in the UK’ pre-Covid. So whilst you might initially go to the Sixes club for the cricket, make the most of the menu too — where the food is wide-ranging and delicious!
Visiting the club, you can really feel the buzz. It’s an exciting new venture kicking off and they have wild and audacious plans for the future. This first pub was set up in 2020, just before the pandemic hit and they already have a second London venue, on Great Portland Street and a brand new one in Manchester. Next up, Oxford (Bimble’s hometown). The team told me they are planning to roll out as many as 15 pubs up and down the UK! So keep a lookout in your neighbourhood: if you’re anything like me (full disclosure, I am a cricket fanatic), you will love what Andy and Callum are doing.
Sixes cricket club is one of a few exciting new ventures in London that are targeting the sport social entertainment angle and all of them are worth a visit, IMO. From football to darts, shooting to crazy golf, there are quite a few to choose from!
Check out this Bimble of my absolute favourite London places to “game” IRL!
