Michelin-starred restaurant takes last orders after 17 years

Glynn Purnell has announced that his Michelin-starred restaurant Purnell’s closed its doors for the final time on Saturday (October 12).

The chef said that Purnell’s had been his “proudest moment” and that after 17 years, he was “heartbroken” to have served its final guest.

He cited a combination of economic pressures and the ongoing challenges faced by the hospitality industry as the reasons for the closure.

After opening in July 2007, Purnell’s quickly became a gastronomic hotspot and the most iconic restaurant in Birmingham, earning a Michelin star in 2008.

Purnell, who trained with top chefs including Gordon Ramsay, Gary Rhodes and Claude Bosi, said the restaurant had been “a roaring success from day one” but “the world doesn’t stand still. Things have moved on, and times have changed. In this current climate, no-one is bulletproof”.

He will now turn his attention to his two other establishments, Plates by Purnell’s on Edmund Street in Birmingham and The Mount by Glynn Purnell in Henley-in-Arden.

His full statement said: “Purnell’s has been my proudest moment, and I am heartbroken to say that after 17 years we have served our final guest. It fills my heart with pride to say that Purnell’s was a roaring success from day one. It won every accolade going, from a Michelin star just a year after opening, to the Craft Guild of Chefs New Restaurant of the Year Award, and the AA Restaurant of the Year Award.

“Purnell’s has been a place where I have had the privilege of working with some of the greatest talent I’ve ever known, and where I have trained people who are now working in some of the best restaurants in the world, from New York to Australia. However, the world doesn’t stand still. Things have moved on, and times have changed. In this current climate, no one is bulletproof.

“I would like to thank everybody who has worked for me over the years. I have always had a team who are like family to me, who have worked with creativity, passion and enthusiasm to make Purnell’s the success it has been for 17 years. I’d also like to thank everybody who has ever eaten here and celebrated life here.

“I’ve raised a glass with guests who have come through our doors to mark birthdays, graduations, first dates, weddings, anniversaries, and many more life events, and I’m thrilled that they chose Purnell’s for all those occasions.”