Glynn Purnell
Encyclopedia
Glynn Purnell is an English chef
and restauranteur. Described by the Birmingham Post
as "undoubtably the finest chef to hail from Chelmsley Wood", he is the proprietor and Head Chef at Purnell's restaurant in Birmingham
, England, which was awarded a Michelin star in January 2009.
, a large council estate in Solihull
. When he was young he would cook for his younger brother and sister, feeding them beans on toast with curry powder
and chopped onions. His first experience working in a kitchen was when he did work experience
at the Metropole Hotel at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre
at the age of 14, returning for a six year apprenticeship when he left school.
Purnell's career in fine dining started in 1996 when he joined Andreas Antona at Simpsons restaurant – then based in Kenilworth
, Warwickshire – as chef de partie. While at Simpsons he worked on placements with notable chefs including Gordon Ramsay
, Alistair Little and Gary Rhodes
, and at restaurants in Lyon
, Montpellier
and the Basque Country
. In 2002 he worked for six months as sous chef at Claude Bosi's Hibiscus restaurant in Ludlow
, Shropshire.
In 2003 Purnell was appointed to his first Head Chef
role at Jessica's in Edgbaston
, Birmingham, which was awarded the first Michelin star given to a Birmingham restaurant in 2005, and was also named English "Restaurant of the Year" by the AA
the same year.
Purnell left Jessica's in 2007 and opened his own restaurant, Purnell's in Birmingham City Centre, which was also awarded a Michelin star in January 2009, and itself won the AA Restaurant of the Year award in September of the same year.
In August 2010 it was announced that Purnell would be opening a second restaurant – The Asquith, an "ambitious, neighbourhood restaurant" – in the premises of the former Jessica's in Edgbaston.
On April 3rd 2011, The Asquith closed its doors due to a dispute with the buildings landlord. Currently, Purnell is looking to re-locate and re-open The Asquith with the same team of staff in place.
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
and restauranteur. Described by the Birmingham Post
Birmingham Post
The Birmingham Post newspaper was originally published under the name Daily Post in Birmingham, England, in 1857 by John Frederick Feeney. It was the largest selling broadsheet in the West Midlands, though it faced little if any competition in this category. It changed to tabloid size in 2008...
as "undoubtably the finest chef to hail from Chelmsley Wood", he is the proprietor and Head Chef at Purnell's restaurant in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England, which was awarded a Michelin star in January 2009.
Life and career
Purnell was born in Chelmsley WoodChelmsley Wood
Chelmsley Wood is a neighbourhood, civil parish and large housing estate in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, England, with a population of 13,010. It is located near Birmingham International Airport and the National Exhibition Centre. It lies adjacent to Birmingham...
, a large council estate in Solihull
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
. When he was young he would cook for his younger brother and sister, feeding them beans on toast with curry powder
Curry powder
Curry powder is a mixture of spices of widely varying composition based on South Asian cuisine. Curry powder, and the contemporary English use of the word curry are Western inventions and do not reflect any specific Indian food, though a similar mixture of spices used in north India is called...
and chopped onions. His first experience working in a kitchen was when he did work experience
Work experience
Work experience is the experience that a person has been working, or worked in a specific field or occupation.- Volunteer work and internships :...
at the Metropole Hotel at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre
National Exhibition Centre
The National Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre in Birmingham, England. It is near junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to Birmingham International Airport and Birmingham International railway station. It has 20 interconnected halls, set in grounds of 628 acres making it the...
at the age of 14, returning for a six year apprenticeship when he left school.
Purnell's career in fine dining started in 1996 when he joined Andreas Antona at Simpsons restaurant – then based in Kenilworth
Kenilworth
Kenilworth is a town in central Warwickshire, England. In 2001 the town had a population of 22,582 . It is situated south of Coventry, north of Warwick and northwest of London....
, Warwickshire – as chef de partie. While at Simpsons he worked on placements with notable chefs including Gordon Ramsay
Gordon Ramsay
Gordon James Ramsay, OBE is a Scottish chef, television personality and restaurateur. He has been awarded 13 Michelin stars....
, Alistair Little and Gary Rhodes
Gary Rhodes
Gary Rhodes OBE is an English restaurateur, cookery writer, and chef, known for his love of British cuisine and distinctive spiked hair style ....
, and at restaurants in Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
and the Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
. In 2002 he worked for six months as sous chef at Claude Bosi's Hibiscus restaurant in Ludlow
Ludlow
Ludlow is a market town in Shropshire, England close to the Welsh border and in the Welsh Marches. It lies within a bend of the River Teme, on its eastern bank, forming an area of and centred on a small hill. Atop this hill is the site of Ludlow Castle and the market place...
, Shropshire.
In 2003 Purnell was appointed to his first Head Chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
role at Jessica's in Edgbaston
Edgbaston
Edgbaston is an area in the city of Birmingham in England. It is also a formal district, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Edgbaston ward and the wards of Bartley Green, Harborne and Quinton....
, Birmingham, which was awarded the first Michelin star given to a Birmingham restaurant in 2005, and was also named English "Restaurant of the Year" by the AA
The Automobile Association
The Automobile Association , a British motoring association founded in 1905 was demutualised in 1999 to become a private limited company which currently provides car insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans and motoring advice, and other services...
the same year.
Purnell left Jessica's in 2007 and opened his own restaurant, Purnell's in Birmingham City Centre, which was also awarded a Michelin star in January 2009, and itself won the AA Restaurant of the Year award in September of the same year.
In August 2010 it was announced that Purnell would be opening a second restaurant – The Asquith, an "ambitious, neighbourhood restaurant" – in the premises of the former Jessica's in Edgbaston.
On April 3rd 2011, The Asquith closed its doors due to a dispute with the buildings landlord. Currently, Purnell is looking to re-locate and re-open The Asquith with the same team of staff in place.
External links
- Purnell's Restaurant Official website
- 4 page interview with Glynn Purnell