Glynn Purnell to open café and bistro in Coventry monastery

Two-time Great British Menu champion Glynn Purnell is to open his long-awaited café and bistro at the Charterhouse monastery in Coventry on 27 April.

The owner of Plates by Purnell's and the Michelin-starred Purnell's in Birmingham said the launch was in line with his wider ambitions of expanding his business outside of the city.

The Grade I-listed 14th century Carthusian monastery is one of ten that was built in Britain and is currently owned by Historic Coventry Trust.

Purnell has worked closely with the Trust and Birmingham-based architects BPN and PCPT on the restaurant as part of the site's redevelopment, which has been seven years in the making.

The monastery has undergone a £12m restoration project, which completed last month, over half of which was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Purnell's Café and Bistro at Charterhouse will offer a farm-to-fork all-day dining experience, serving a range of cakes, small plates and bistro-style mains.

Example dishes include crispy squid with buffalo mayonnaise; mini chorizo with cider and honey; and milk chocolate and hazelnut tart.

Purnell said: "It is a massive opportunity to bring such a strong food brand into Coventry and to hopefully be the catalyst of an explosive new food culture, as I was in Birmingham in the early 2000s.

"My award-winning team and I will bring a stunning café & bistro which will offer an all-day menu centering around simplicity and seasonality, taking the very best ingredients and respectfully combining them to deliver the most incredible flavours."

Ian Harrabin, chairman of Historic Coventry Trust, said: "Following the successful opening of Charterhouse visitor attraction earlier this month, we are delighted to have Glynn and his award-winning team now opening the Café & Bistro."