Glynn Purnell | |
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Born |
Chelmsley Wood,
Solihull, England | 4 January 1975
Children | 3 |
Culinary career | |
Cooking style | Modern British |
Previous restaurant(s)
| |
Television show(s)
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Website |
www |
Glynn Purnell (born 4 January 1975) 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]
Purnell was born in Chelmsley Wood, a large council estate in north 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]
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]
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]
Purnell has published several cookery books including Rib Ticklers and Choux-ins (2016) and Cracking Yolks & Pig Tales (2017). He has also published a children's book, The Magical Adventures of Whoops the Wonder Dog (2018). [14]
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