Glynn Purnell
Glynn Purnell (born 4 January 1975 in Solihull, England) is an English chef, restaurateur and television personality. Described by the Birmingham Post as "undoubtably the finest chef to hail from Chelmsley Wood",[1] he is the proprietor and Head Chef at Purnell's restaurant in Birmingham, England, which was awarded a Michelin star in January 2009.[2]
Glynn Purnell | |
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Born | Chelmsley Wood, Solihull, England | 4 January 1975
Children | 3 |
Culinary career | |
Current restaurant(s)
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Website | www |
Early life
Purnell was born in Chelmsley Wood, a large council estate in Solihull. His dad worked in a factory his mum was a dinner lady.[3]
When he was young he would cook for his younger brother and sister, feeding them beans on toast with curry powder and chopped onions.[4] 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.[4]
Career
Chef
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.[5] While at Simpsons he worked on placements with other notable chefs including Gordon Ramsay and Gary Rhodes,[2] and at restaurants in Lyon, Montpellier and the Basque Country.[4] In 2002 he worked for six months as sous chef at Claude Bosi's Hibiscus restaurant in Ludlow, Shropshire.[2]
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.[4]
Purnell left Jessica's in 2007 and opened his own restaurant, Purnell's in Cornwall Street, in Birmingham's 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.[6] The restaurant also won the Square Meal Best Restaurant of the Year Award in 2012.[7]
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.[8] In April 2011, The Asquith closed its doors due to a dispute with the buildings landlord.[9] In 2015 the building was converted into luxury apartments.[10]
Television
Purnell is a regular presenter and chef on BBC show Saturday Kitchen. He has also appeared as judge on Come Dine With Me - Champion of Champions,[11] and featured on Secret Kitchen and Great British Menu.[12] In 2017, he helmed 40 episodes of My Kitchen Rules for its third series.[13]
Personal life
Purnell has had a long-term partner, with whom he has three children.[17]
External links
- Purnell's Restaurant Official website
- 4 page interview with Glynn Purnell
References
- "Power 50 Profiles – No.14 Glynn Purnell", Birmingham Post, 30 June 2009, retrieved 25 August 2010
- Chefs – Glynn Purnell, BBC Food, retrieved 25 August 2010
- Laws, Roz (4 November 2017). "10 things you might not know about Glynn Purnell". birminghammail. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
- Harmer, Janet (18 May 2009), Glynn Purnell, Caterer Search, retrieved 25 August 2010
- Binns, Richard (2004), D'Artagnan and The Three Musketeers (a Midlands culinary epic!) (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on 8 March 2012, retrieved 25 August 2010
- McComb, Richard (29 September 2009), "Birmingham restaurant Purnell's named England's No.1 by the AA", Birmingham Post, retrieved 26 August 2010
- Evans, Nicky. "Purnell's wins BMW Square Meal Best UK Restaurant award 2012". Square Meal. Monomax Ltd. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
- McComb, Richard (5 August 2010), "Glynn Purnell and Jamie Oliver to open new restaurants in Birmingham", Birmingham Post, retrieved 27 August 2010
- McComb, Richard (7 April 2011). "Glynn Purnell closes Edgbaston restaurant The Asquith after dispute with landlord". Retrieved 7 October 2017.
- Jones, Alison (29 June 2015). "Former Michelin starred restaurant transformed into luxury apartments". Retrieved 7 October 2017.
- "Glynn Purnell lands starring role in TV Show". www.whatsonlive.co.uk. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
- Richardson, Andy. "Glynn Purnell: I do TV but I'm just a normal dude". www.expressandstar.com. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
- Bains, Sanjeeta (21 September 2016). "Glynn Purnell exclusively reveals his big TV secret". birminghammail. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
- "Cracking Yolks & Pig Tales by Glynn Purnell (9780857832238) | LoveReading". www.lovereading.co.uk. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
- "Rib Ticklers and Choux-ins by Glynn Purnell (9780857833396) | LoveReading". www.lovereading.co.uk. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
- "Michelin star chef Glynn Purnell writes children's book". www.whatsonlive.co.uk. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
- Cartledge, James (22 November 2016). "Saturday Kitchen star's partner 'in agony' after horror crash". birminghammail. Retrieved 23 January 2020.