Purnell's, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Birmingham, shut down on October 12, 2024. It was helmed by celebrity Chef Glynn Purnell, who blamed economic hardships and general struggles in the industry, revealing that bookings had fallen by more than 20%. Customers have discovered that their dining vouchers for the establishment - some of which were worth hundreds of pounds - have been rendered worthless. As per reports, the diners were told that refunds would be impossible. Moreover, some of them did not even know of the closure until it was too late. The chef-patron apologised for the situation, but several people have been left fuming.
Also Read: UK Family Of 8 Leaves Restaurant Without Paying Rs 34,000 Bill, Police Report Filed
Ben Price, who had got a 250 GBP (Rs 27K approx.) gift voucher for Purnell's, spoke to BirminghamLive about the problem. He said, "I find it pretty poor form that they would take such a significant amount of money from people and offer no recompense or transfer of the voucher across to one of Glynn's other ventures that he is continuing with." Chef Purnell has two other establishments: Plates by Purnell's in Birmingham and The Mount by Glynn Purnell in Henley-in-Arden. After the closure, he said he would focus his efforts on his remaining ventures.
Angela Blacker, a retiree from Shropshire, had also received a Purnell's gift voucher for her birthday, in the form of a '110 GBP (Rs 12K approx.) five-course lunch for two' ticket. On discovering that she would not be able to use it, she told the BBC, "I'm shocked at the level of customer service... We have had absolutely nothing at all. It's not our fault he's closed the restaurant... I was really looking forward to going somewhere posh, but it's not going to happen now."
In a statement, Chef Purnell said, "I have been very grateful for the support in the unfortunate and unforeseen closure of the restaurant after 17 years. The closure is now in the hands of the liquidators which are Woods and Butchers and all queries regarding voucher refunds must legally be addressed to them... We have been advised that refunds can also be requested via customers' own banks and credit card companies. I can only apologise for this difficult situation."
Also Read: Which Indian Restaurants Have Michelin Stars? Find Out Here
Featured Video Of The Day
Take These Steps To Reduce Diabetes Risk: Overall Prevention And Treatment With Exercise And Diet Indian Fine Dining Restaurant 'Musaafer' In Houston Receives Michelin Star In Search Of Soup Dumplings, Thousands On Cycles Clog Roads In Chinese City "Officials To Pay From Salary": Top Court Guidelines On 'Bulldozer Justice' Top Roles For Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy In Donald Trump's Cabinet "Never Thought He Would...": Cop Who First Arrested Lawrence Bishnoi Former NBA Player Kyle Singler's Cryptic Instagram Videos Raise Concerns 18th Century Sculpture Bought For Rs 540 Could Sell For Over Rs 2.68 Crore Donald Trump Sets 'Existential' Battle Against China With Cabinet Picks Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.