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Purnell’s will open at the beginning of July 2007 in a beautiful, redbrick and terracotta Victorian building at 55 Cornwall Street, part of a conservation area in the heart of the city’s business district, a short walk away from Colmore Row and Cathedral Square. 

32 year old Brummie, Glynn Purnell, will continue to offer the adventurous and innovative cuisine that won him one of the city’s first two Michelin stars in 2005, as Head Chef at Jessica’s Restaurant in Edgbaston. His new venture, that sees him take the reins as both proprietor and Head Chef, represents a lifelong ambition harboured since he first began working in a hotel kitchen after school at the age of 14.

After a six year apprenticeship at the Metropole Hotel at the NEC, he moved to Simpsons Restaurant in Kenilworth where he progressed from Chef de Partie to Sous Chef before joining renowned chef Claude Bosi at his two starred restaurant, Hibiscus in Ludlow as Sous Chef.  He helped set up Jessica’s Restaurant in 2003, gaining rave local and national reviews and a heap of awards including AA Restaurant of the Year 2005 and the coveted Michelin star.

The 45 cover Purnell’s which will also have a 12 seat private dining room, is being designed by local interior design team, Joseph & Satou, in a simple, contemporary style with slate floor, black wooden tables and cream upholstered chairs and seating.  The restaurant will feature its own bar and lounge area, for diners only, where a pre-dinner cocktail or after dinner coffee or digestif can be enjoyed on comfortable sofas.  The building occupies a corner location, with large windows on both sides, with plenty of natural light during the day.   

Purnell’s will offer a full ‘à la carte’ and ‘prix fixe’ menus for lunch and dinner as well as the ever popular 5 and 7 course tasting menus. Purnell’s will be the first restaurant in the city to offer full tasting menus where wines and spirits will be matched to each course, as an option for those who want the full gastronomic experience without the dilemma of what to choose. 

Glynn said today, “Picking up the keys for my own restaurant is like a dream come true.  I’ve worked in a kitchen full time for the last 16 years and it’s second nature to me now. At Jessica’s I was responsible for developing the menu and it was really fantastic to see how well diners responded to new and adventurous ideas. There’ll be more of that at Purnell’s but I’m also looking forward to applying my creative skills to the business as a whole and with my team, I’ll be striving to create a city centre destination restaurant that Birmingham can be proud of.”