
Meet the chef: Will Murray of Fallow, Fowl and Roe
Having pioneered some of the most sustainable fare in the capital, we sit down with one half of the team behind Fallow to discuss his most ambitious project to date
When Fallow opened in 2020, it instantly made waves on London’s sustainable restaurant scene. Born out of a bold idea from chefs Will Murray and Jack Croft, sparked while they were both cutting their culinary teeth at the two Michelin-starred Dinner by Heston in Mayfair, the duo decided to branch out on their own after a series of successful pop-ups trialling their signature nose-to-tail cookery. The result? A critically-acclaimed restaurant in St James that is booked up for months ahead – and one that is popular with not only an inner city clientele, but foodies all over the UK and, perhaps hardest to impress, fellow London chefs.
Skim through other interviews in our Meet the Chef series and you’ll see Fallow crops up regularly. Why? Because Murray and Croft always aim to do things differently. The menu features sharing-style dishes showcasing ingredients that might otherwise be wasted. Case in point: Fallow’s cult favourite sriracha cod’s head, spotlighting a kitchen by-product which, in turn, saves 400 cod’s heads a week from being wasted. Other standout dishes include the famed eponymous burger, stonebass Goan curry, and Cornish sea bream crudo, perfectly paired with an oyster shell martini. Boring everyday fare, this isn’t.
Naturally, it wasn’t long before the entrepreneurs built on their success, adding Fowl to the portfolio last autumn. This ‘beak-to-feet’ chicken shop is a collaborative space, regularly hosting a lineup of foodie icons, from Pierre Koffman to James Blunt. Finally, earlier this year, the holy trinity was completed with the opening of Roe: a more casual spin on Fallow’s seasonally-led, consciously-sourced small plates concept located in Wood Wharf. London restaurant scene? Murray seems to have completed it.

Will Murray, left, and Jack Croft

Sriracha cod’s head. Images: Steven Joyce
Or has he? With the pair having recently launched Herd – an online foodie platform (@herd.chefs) documenting new recipes and tips and tricks in the kitchen that’s amassed more than a million followers – it would seem Murray has no desire to slow down, and is keen to come up with more innovative ways to bring sustainable cooking to the forefront. We sit down to discuss his career so far, the biggest hurdle facing restaurateurs right now and who he admires on London’s cheffing scene.
I grew up in Bolton and my path to becoming a chef wasn’t exactly traditional. I didn’t always know I wanted to be a chef – in fact, I studied classical literature at the University of Birmingham. But food was always something I was drawn to. After university, I found myself working as a kitchen porter at a local Italian restaurant, and that’s when I started to fall in love with the kitchen.
One of my earliest food memories has to be eating Carrs pasties back in Bolton. It was a real treat for me growing up: warm, flaky pastry filled with perfectly seasoned meat and potatoes. I think that’s what sparked my love for nostalgic, comforting flavours, which still influences my cooking today.
I didn’t go to culinary school; I learned everything on the job. After graduating from university, I worked at the Peak Edge Hotel, which borders the Peak District, starting as a trainee pastry chef. That was where I got my first real taste of professional cooking. In 2015, I moved to London to broaden my horizons and met Jack Croft while working at Dinner by Heston. That’s where I really honed my skills, and it’s also where Jack and I first began exploring the idea of using by-products and sustainable ingredients in new, creative ways.
Working at Dinner by Heston was an eye-opening experience. The precision and discipline required in a two Michelin-starred kitchen is intense, but it also encourages creativity. Jack and I bonded over finding ways to use kitchen by-products which we turned into staff meals and snacks. The biggest lesson I learned there was to always look for ways to innovate, even with the humblest of ingredients. It’s a mindset that’s stayed with me ever since.


After meeting Jack at Dinner, we both knew we wanted to create something of our own. Fallow was born from our passion for creative cooking and sustainable thinking. We wanted to challenge the idea of waste in the kitchen by implementing a root-to-stem and nose-to-tail ethos. In October 2019, we met hospitality entrepreneur James Robson, and after some successful pop-ups, we opened Fallow at 10 Heddon Street in March 2020. The response was incredible, and it showed that people in London were ready for a restaurant that championed sustainability while offering bold, delicious flavours.
Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. Our menus are influenced by seasonality, local British ingredients, and our desire to use every part of an ingredient, whether that’s vegetable scraps or lesser-known cuts of meat.
Fowl, launched in October 2023, is our playful take on a chicken shop, still rooted in sustainability with all birds sourced from Sutton Hoo. It’s fun, casual, and has an amazing terrace where we serve rotisserie chicken and frozen piña coladas.
Roe, which opened this April in Wood Wharf, is a hugely ambitious project: a three-storey, 500-cover restaurant overlooking the South Dock canal, featuring 3D-printed interiors from plant-based materials, and an aeroponic green wall for growing herbs and greens used in our dishes.
We’re always thinking about the next step but, right now, we’re really excited about Roe. That’s our main focus for the moment.

Fowl

Fallow burger
The cost of running a restaurant in London is a major challenge – [think] rents, utilities, staffing, and the rising price of ingredients. It’s tough, especially for independent restaurants trying to do something a bit different. That’s why sustainability is so important to us – it’s not just good for the planet, it can also help reduce costs.
It’s hard to pick a favourite but I do love Sabor in Soho. The atmosphere is lively and unpretentious, and the dishes – whether it’s the fresh seafood or perfectly cooked meats – are all about simplicity and letting top-quality ingredients shine. A fantastic balance of tradition and innovation.
I really admire Mathew Ryle at Maison Francois. He’s a talented chef first and foremost and his restaurants are fantastic, but he’s also great at engaging with his audience across socials.
With the family. I have two fantastic daughters who keep me very busy!

Image: Sophia Shoot

Roe. Image: Lisa Tse
A standout dish for me is the smoked cod’s head at Fallow, served with our bright orange sriracha sauce and leek oil. It’s a part of the fish that’s often overlooked and discarded, but we save around 400 cod heads a week from going to waste. There’s so much delicious meat in the cheeks, tongue, and collar. It’s a bold, conversation-starting dish that surprises people with just how flavourful it is.
Visit fallowrestaurant.com; fowlrestaurant.com; roerestaurant.co.uk
Read more: Meet the chef: Andrew Wong of A.Wong