'Heartbroken' TV chef closes restaurant as furious customers owed nearly £40,000

Glynn Purnell said helium was "heartbroken" aft taking the determination to adjacent his Birmingham edifice aft 17 years and hundreds of customers accidental they are owed astir £40,000

Hundreds of customers are owed astir £40,000 aft Purnell's restaurant owned by the Michelin starred cook closed down.

Glynn Purnell said helium was "heartbroken" aft taking the determination to adjacent his Birmingham edifice aft 17 years owed to the sound connected effect of the Covid pandemic and accrued costs and wages.

But the determination to adjacent has near 246 customers warring to retrieve immoderate of the wealth they paid for vouchers they ne'er got to usage to devour at the restaurant.

In a Statement Of Affairs sent to creditors, firm betterment steadfast Butcher Woods outlines 246 'consumer creditors' who had bought vouchers and enactment down deposits with the top-rated restaurant. The full magnitude owed is £39,375.

Families who bought vouchers for Purnell's said however they were 'disappointed' successful the cook aft learning astir the closure via the media contempt having hundreds of pounds worthy of unspent vouchers.

As good arsenic the vouchers and deposits, the liquidation papers for Ginger Boy Ltd, which traded arsenic Purnell's Restaurant, shows however overmuch is owed to edifice unit successful wages and vacation pay. Among them is Glynn Purnell himself, who the papers shows is owed £30,766.21 successful total.

Mr Purnell is besides listed connected the connection arsenic a institution creditor alongside suppliers to the tune of £60,610.75. Other creditors connected the database see pest control, vino and ingredients firms and a institution that supplies good truffles.

According to the Statement of Affairs, the institution hired 20 unit including the manager and their wages and outstanding vacation wage is listed arsenic a preferential assertion successful the liquidation. The secondary preferential creditor is HMRC, which is owed an estimated £51,086.

One voucher holder has shown BirminghamLive correspondence from Butcher Woods advising 'it is improbable you volition person immoderate funds from the liquidation', referring them backmost to their slope to effort to get a refund, though it is not guaranteed they volition person one.

One lawsuit has since besides said that they've been advised by their slope it is 'unlikely' they volition get immoderate currency backmost for the loss. Others are awaiting connection pursuing attempts to recoup the money.

The nonaccomplishment of Purnell's was attributed to 'the knock-on effect of the Covid-19 pandemic' and 'an summation successful each concern costs', the papers states. In total, the company's deficiency arsenic per the estimated connection of affairs is £431,871.

Mr Purnell's connection successful afloat reads: "I person been precise grateful for the enactment successful the unfortunate and unforeseen closure of the edifice aft 17 years. The closure is present successful the hands of the liquidators which are Woods and Butchers and each queries regarding voucher refunds indispensable legally beryllium addressed to them.

"We person been advised that refunds tin besides beryllium requested via customers ain banks and recognition paper companies. I tin lone apologise for this hard situation."

Customers person besides said they consciousness they person been 'treated dreadfully' by the BBC Saturday Kitchen prima chef. Among them was Therese Roberts, who bought £250 vouchers for each of her 2 children.

She said: "My presumption is helium has nary respect for his loyal clients. We person dined astatine Purnell's a fewer times, Plates by Purnell's, and what was Ginger's Bistro. To conscionable adjacent the doors without warning, and to not springiness accusation to clients oregon honour the voucher astatine different of his restaurants is not acceptable.

"My children enactment spot successful Purnell's by purchasing this voucher for their father. For Glynn Purnell not to honour his broadside of the statement is shameful. I excessively enactment successful the catering manufacture and tally my ain catering business, and would surely not dainty our clients successful this manner, however Glynn tin conscionable transportation connected cooking careless is unbelievable."

Ben Price, who was talented a voucher for his birthday, added: "As a chap Brummie I had ever followed and tried to enactment Glynn's ventures wherever possible, having been to The Mount and to his Bistro earlier it closed. He's decidedly fallen successful my estimation arsenic a effect of the mode that this has been handled and communicated. £250 is simply a batch of money, particularly successful the existent climate, truthful to permission loyal customers retired of pouch portion helium continues with different ventures is simply a spot galling." The Mirror has contacted Purnell's edifice for comment.