'Gifted, mercurial, and loveable' – Birmingham Michelin starred restaurateur Glynn Purnell will bounce back - here's why

Because here’s the thing. Its charismatic owner – the gifted, mercurial, and loveable Glynn Purnell, the original Yummy Brummie – changed the game for restaurants in the Second City.

Purnell opened the doors to a host of others who followed in his wake, not least such chef-patrons as Brad Carter, who also earned a Michelin star, in Moseley in Birmingham.

Purnell was – and is – an innovator. And while the closure of Purnell’s is a loss, you can be sure of one thing: he’ll be back, and probably very soon.

Purnell won Birmingham its first new star when he cooked at Jessica’s, in Edgbaston. He was part of a wave of chefs that included Gordon Ramsay, Heston Blumenthal, Tom Kerridge, Sat Bains, and Claude Bosi, with whom he worked, in Ludlow.

Purnell won acclaim on TV and dubbed himself the best cook ever to emerge from Chelmsley Wood.

Having secured a star at Jessica’s, he opened his own restaurant, Purnell’s, in the city centre. It was a boyhood dream come true. He continued to appear on TV, published a series of successful books, and led the way – showing up-and-coming chefs what they could achieve through hard work, determination, and innovation.

Purnell built a team that stayed the course. He retained a star for more than a decade, survived Covid, and continued to lead from the front.

Warm, lovable, and remarkably kind, he was the Birmingham City-supporting, keep-fit enthusiast who made dreamy food at his lovingly-created restaurant.

I met Glynn many times – he’s a friend – and published a huge, ‘legacy’ book for him.

And here’s something I’d like to share. When you write, or publish, a book, you often end up liking an author a little less at the end of the process. You’re exposed to their foibles, to behaviours that are often challenging, to the stresses and strains of the work.

With Purnell, uniquely, it was the opposite. I – and the team who worked on it – all ended up liking him more. Generous, trustworthy, and shimmering with authenticity, he was a thoroughly decent man who wanted to make something of himself and did. He was also funny – the funniest man I’ve ever met, and far funnier than the professional comedians I’ve known. Forever wise-cracking, or making light, he would have a room in stitches within moments.

Away from the kitchen, Purnell had faced personal losses in his tight-knit and loving family, and the closure of his restaurant ends a period of change. He will be back. He’s too good a chef, too driven-a-chef, too skilled, experienced, and knowledgeable not to be.

He was the ignition that made Birmingham the UK’s second most desirable gastronomic destination, outside London, and who helped others to fulfil their dreams. He helped scores of chefs, getting them jobs at other prestigious restaurants, and giving them the opportunity to follow in his footsteps.

Purnell will be fine – he’s tough, he’s resilient, and he’s got phenomenal skill. The real loss is the one for the West Midlands. Purnell’s made the region’s hospitality considerably better than it had previously been – here’s hoping it won’t be too long before Glynn is back.