Star chef apologises to fuming diners following restaurant closure

by · Mail Online

A BBC star chef has been forced to apologise after closing his Michelin-star restaurant - leaving customers fuming and out of pocket.

Diners with vouchers for Chef Glynn Purnell's restaurant were told they wouldn't be given a refund after the restaurant closed last month.

Purnell's, in Birmingham, was awarded a Michelin star a year after it opened in 2007 but closed its doors for the final time on October 12.

The chef, who previously trained with Gordon Ramsay, is known to many for his appearances on Saturday Kitchen.

Diners with vouchers for Chef Glynn Purnell's (pictured) restaurant were told they wouldn't be given a refund after the restaurant closed last month
Glynn Purnell, pictured, told the a newspaper he was 'very grateful' for the support during the closure of the restaurant

Now, customer Therese Roberts bought £250 vouchers for her two children and their spouses as Christmas presents last year.

Her daughter had booked dinner for October 23 - however, she found the restaurant had closed due to a news article.

Her mother emailed the restaurant eight times to ask if she could use the vouchers at the other venues owned by the chef, the Birmingham Mail reports.

After days, she was referred to the liquidator and was told she could not swap and claimed she tried to contact her bank in order to get the money back.

Ms Roberts said: 'I am disappointed in Glynn Purnell. I thought he was a better man than this.

'I have had a great experience at Purnell's in the past, so much so that I bought vouchers for two friends with special birthdays.

'I invested in a local business and a man with a good reputation yet there has been no goodwill and little communication forthcoming.'

Purnell's, pictured, , was awarded a Michelin star a year after it opened in 2007 but closed its doors for the final time on October 12

Another customer, Ben Price, has been left in a similar situation after he bought a £250 birthday voucher to dine at the restaurant.

He said he found it 'pretty poor' that they would take such an amount of money from someone without any transfer to use the voucher at another venue.

Glynn Purnell told the local newspaper he was 'very grateful' for the support during the closure of the restaurant.

He said it is now in the hands of liquidators and all queries regarding voucher refunds 'must be legally addressed to them'.

He added he has been advised refunds can be requested via customers' own banks and credit cards adding: 'I can only apologise for this difficult situation.'