In this paper, we report the influence of the mode of deformation on recrystallisation kinetics through experiments, theory and a phase field model. Ni samples of 99.6% purity are subjected to torsion and rolling at two equivalent plastic strains and the recrystallisation kinetics and microstructure are compared experimentally. Due to significant differences in the distributions of the nuclei and stored energy for the same equivalent strain, large differences are observed in the recrystallisation kinetics of rolled and torsion-tested samples. Next, a multi-phase field model is developed in order to understand and predict the kinetics and microstructural evolution. The coarse-grained free energy parameters of the phase field model are taken to be a function of the stored energy. In order to account for the observed differences in recrystallisation kinetics, the phase field mobility parameter is a required constitutive input. The mobility is calculated by developing a mean field model of the recrystallisation process assuming that the strain free nuclei grow in a uniform stored energy field. The activation energy calculated from the mobilities obtained from the mean field calculation compares very well with the activation energy obtained from the kinetics of recrystallisation. The recrystallisation kinetics and microstructure as characterised by grain size distribution obtained from the phase field simulations match the experimental results to good accord. The novel combination of experiments, phase field simulations and mean field model facilitates a quantitative prediction of the microstructural evolution and kinetics. © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.