A busy day for walking tours in Birmingham today, in Victoria Square the start point for our standard City Centre Walk, the second day of the Colmore Business District Food Festival was in full swing. A quick break for a coffee from one of Birmingham’s great independent coffee shop Urban Coffee Company, followed by a three pie selection from The Old Joint Stock. Then a quick look around the festival before going to the starting point for the food themed afternoon tour.
At 2:00 I met up with my guests for one of Midlands Discovery Tours specialist walks, 1000 Tastes 1 City Tour. Having spotted Glynn Purnell, described by Olive magazine as the Yummie Brummie on his food stall, I asked if he would be kind enough to come over and talk with the group, which he duly obliged.
He told us how as an 11 year old he had written a note of his plans to become “a cook and have famous people at my Birmingham Restaurant”, and how the note had recently come to light when his dad found it in the loft of the family home. I asked if he could confirm that as a 14 year old he had experimented on his siblings, by putting Curry powder in their baked beans, yes he said along with onions and a few dried herbs. Clients today to his Cornwall Street restaurant can’t get the bean dish, as the critics of the original dish when he was 14 weren’t too complimentary, but judging by the long line of people at the Purnell food stall and of course the Michelin Star, todays experimental dishes get rave reviews from all that try them.
Two hours of walking and talking built up my appetite, so I made a bee line back to Victoria Square to try the Pigs cheeks, which were melt in the mouth, followed by Raspberry’s with a beautifully delicate meringue and whipped cream. Glynn Purnell, a great chef, a champion of the city of Birmingham, and a really nice bloke.
Michael, Midlands Discovery Tours
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