Chef Glynn Purnell has announced the closure of his Michelin-starred Birmingham restaurant, saying it had become “unsustainable” amid falling bookings and footfall. Purnell’s, which was awarded a Michelin star a year after it opened in 2007, closed its doors for the last time on Saturday.
In a statement on the restaurant’s Facebook page, Mr Purnell said: “Purnells has been my proudest moment, and I am heartbroken to say that after 17 years we have served our last guest.
“Purnell’s has been a place where I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the greatest talent I’ve ever known, and where I’ve trained people who now work in some of the best restaurants in the world, from New York to Australia.
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“I would also like to thank everyone who has ever eaten here and celebrated life here,” he said. “I have raised a glass with guests who have come through our doors to celebrate birthdays, graduations, first dates, weddings, anniversaries and many more life events, and I am proud that they chose Purnell’s for all of these occasions.”
The 49-year-old also runs the nearby tapas-themed Plates by Purnells restaurant and The Mount pub in Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire, both of which will remain open for business as usual.
Speaking to BBC Radio WM on Monday, Mr Purnell, known as ‘Yummy Brummie’ and for his roles as a contestant and mentor on the BBC’s Great British Menu, said of Purnell’s closure: “It was obviously a really difficult decision for me to do.
“I ran this restaurant for 17 years completely independently – I never had any kind of major financial backing.”
Mr Purnell added that he believed foot traffic had fallen in central Birmingham, while long-running changes to parking charges and the city’s central Clean Air Zone, which came into effect in 2021, along with “horrendous” traffic levels linked to building work, had all had an impact.
“This country seems to be punishing itself for trying to prove something to the rest of the world,” he told the BBC.
The recent demonstrations had also made people feel uneasy, the chef said.
Vowing to spend more time cooking at Plates, which was “ticking over really nicely”, Mr Purnell told the station: “I definitely want to go and do something else.
“Hopefully there are many more things in the pipeline.
“It’s a new chapter. There’s still a lot to go.”
