In a statement posted to Instagram, Purnell apologised to guests who have been waiting for a response to their voucher enquiries, saying it had been an ‘incredibly challenging time’ for him and his team.
The chef announced the closure of his Michelin-starred Birmingham restaurant Purnell’s last month after 17 years trading, blaming a combination of economic pressures and the ongoing challenges faced by the hospitality industry.
A Statement of Affairs published to Companies House earlier this month shows that Ginger Boy Ltd, which traded as Purnell’s, owes £39,375 to consumer creditors who had bought vouchers and paid deposits to the restaurant prior to its closure.
Purnell said: “Thank you to everyone for your patience in relation to Purnell’s Restaurant Gift Vouchers.
“This has been an incredibly challenging time for me and my team on both a business and personal level, as I hope you can appreciate. This is a new experience for us all and this has meant that we have been unable to maintain the high level of service that we have always strived to provide.
“I would like to personally apologise to any guests who have been waiting for a response to their voucher enquiries. I am now in a position to address each individual case personally.
“I have a number of solutions and proposals in mind, and I look forward to discussing these with you to find a mutually agreeable conclusion.”
Purnell asked holders of valid vouchers, issued on or after 13 October 2023, to send their voucher, along with a name and contact number to: p.voucher@outlook.com.
Enquires must be submitted before 10 January 2025.
The closure of Purnell’s leaves the eponymous chef, who cut his teeth working for the likes of Gordon Ramsay, Gary Rhodes and Claude Bosi, with two restaurants in the UK: Plates by Purnell’s on Edmund Street in Birmingham, and The Mount by Glynn Purnell in Henley-in-Arden.
