It’s been a long time coming, but Michelin Star Chef Glynn Purnell’s new cafe and bistro at Charterhouse in Coventry is finally set to open this month.
The new venue, which will take up residence in one of Coventry’s most historic buildings, will open on Thursday 27th April, bringing great food and drink including cakes, pastries snacks and hot drinks as well as a ‘small plates’ menu with wine, champagne and other drinks available in the day and evenings.
Charterhouse, a Grade I listed 14th Century Carthusian monastery – one of only ten ever built in Britain – is owned by Historic Coventry Trust and has just reopened after a seven-year, £12m restoration project, creating a major new visitor attraction for the region.
As well as its three carefully restored and conserved wall paintings and a newly revitalised garden, it boasts Purnell’s Café & Bistro at Charterhouse.
It’s Glynn Purnell’s fourth eatery and comes after the success of The Mount by Glynn Purnell, which opened in Henley-in-Arden in March 2022, encouraging the chef to further expand his businesses outside of Birmingham.
He said: “I am thrilled and proud to be part of what is unquestionably an amazing venue. Charterhouse is a remarkable building of national importance and the project to restore it has been fantastic.
“Bringing the Purnell’s brand to the city of Coventry is very exciting, especially to be doing so on such a historic ground. 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.”
Purnell’s Café & Bistro at Charterhouse will provide an all-day experience for locals and visitors, with a field-to-fork ethos making the most of produce grown in the garden on site.
It will offer freshly made cakes, pastries, snacks and hot drinks for those wishing to enjoy elevenses or a mid-afternoon treat, and the café & bistro along with its small plates menu will stay open into the evenings for people who want to dine later on.
Purnell adds: “Our welcoming, beautiful new café & bistro offers a wide range of delicious food and beverages within a unique and historic setting.
“We will use locally sourced ingredients to produce mouth-watering combinations, with great wines and other drinks to match.
“The stunning views of the Charterhouse heritage park, with equally incredible food, will offer something that not only Coventry can be proud of, but the whole country, placing the city firmly on the culinary map.”
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.
“The Café & Bistro is not only a great addition to Charterhouse, but an exciting culinary destination for the city. We look forward to welcoming people from Coventry, Warwickshire and across the UK to immerse themselves in more than 600 years of history and enjoy the mouth-watering offering available onsite.”
To book a table at Purnell’s Café & Bistro at Charterhouse, click here.
