Purnell’s restaurant closes after 17 years amid wider Michelin-star closures

By James Bayley

Published: 14 October, 2024

Glynn Purnell’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Purnell’s, has shut its doors after 17 years. The Birmingham-based restaurant served its final guests on 12 October, with Purnell citing economic challenges and pressures on the hospitality sector as key reasons for the closure.

Purnell’s, which opened in 2007, became a major part of Birmingham’s dining scene, earning a Michelin star in 2008. Purnell, who trained under Gordon Ramsay and Gary Rhodes, said, “Purnell’s has been my proudest moment, and I am heartbroken to say that after 17 years we have served our final guest.”

The closure comes amid a wave of Michelin-starred restaurants shutting down across the UK. Tom Brown’s Cornerstone in Hackney, which opened in 2018 and earned a Michelin star in 2019, closed in June due to economic pressures and industry challenges. Brown expressed similar sentiments, saying, “Cornerstone has been my proudest moment.”

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Other notable closures include Le Gavroche in London, which ended its more than 50-year run earlier this year.

These closures reflect broader struggles in the UK’s fine dining sector, with rising costs, labour shortages and the aftermath of the pandemic putting pressure on even the most successful establishments.

Purnell also expressed pride in his team and the chefs he has mentored, many of whom have gone on to work in leading restaurants around the world. He thanked staff and customers for their support over the years, saying, “I’ve raised a glass with guests who have come through our doors to mark birthdays, graduations, first dates, weddings, anniversaries, and many more life events, and I’m thrilled that they chose Purnell’s for all those occasions.”

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