Street food event to take over Longbridge

Glynn Purnell steps up to the plate at Longbridge Dining Club.

Birmingham’s finest foodie, Glynn Purnell, will be heading to Longbridge Town Centre next month for its 2019 Food Festival. Fresh from his appearances on BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen, the Yummy Brummie will be serving up cooking demonstrations, top tips, and a generous helping of his cheeky one-liners on Saturday 13th July.

Joining the highly-lauded chef, Andy Stubbs of Low N Slow and a host of award-winning street-food vendors from Longbridge Dining Club will be part of the stellar recipe for the day. Taking over Longbridge Town Centre, ten of Digbeth Dining Club’s favourite faces, from Chef Shack and Middle Feast to Urban Cheesecake and Press de Cuba, will be bringing sugar, spice, and all things nice for one day only.

Glynn Purnell, the man behind Michelin-starred Purnell’s on Cornwall Street, as well as Purnell’s Bistro & Ginger’s Bar on Newhall Street, will head back to his South Birmingham roots to rustle up a one of his signature dishes on the stage from midday.

Speaking about his upcoming appearance, Glynn commented: “I’m really looking forward to heading to Longbridge for this year’s Food Festival, joining the likes of Andy Stubbs and Digbeth Dining Club for a weekend dedicated to good food. DDC has changed the face of our city’s alternative food scene and in my opinion is the best street food event in the UK. I love it all – tacos, slow pulled pork, pizza and pies! Andy’s amazing slow cooked meats are worth turning out for alone- his brisket and ribs never disappoint!

“Food festivals are always good fun; you get to meet and see other chefs who you might not have seen in a while and mingle with the crowds. Birmingham is the centre of the universe, but it used to be the culinary desert of Britain. The ironic thing is, is that Birmingham is actually twinned with Lyon which is the home of gastronomy.

“It’s also twinned with other fantastic food cities such as Chicago. Now we can actually stand shoulder to shoulder with these cities and be able to stick our chests out and be as good as them. I can proudly say that Birmingham is full of foodie talent which will be demonstrated at Longbridge Food Festival.

“The dish that I’ll be demonstrating on the day is my Great British Menu winning Monkfish Masala. It’s good to inspire people to push the boundaries of their tried-and-tested favourites, while still keeping things simple enough to have a go in their own kitchens. After all, food doesn’t have to be difficult to be delicious!”

The festival also goes beyond the set-menu of food, offering a healthy side of fun for all the family. As well as sampling the tasty dishes, guests will be able to sip on summery cocktails, enjoy DJ sets, and even try their hand at arts and crafts. All of this will be part of the mix at the free event, which will run from 11am-6pm on Saturday 13 July, and welcomes everyone to get stuck in.

Paul Haynes, the Centre Manager of Longbridge Shopping Park, is looking forward to the return of the festival. He stated: “I’m delighted that we can bring the Food Festival back for yet another year! Not only will we welcome back our old friends Digbeth Dining Club, but we’re so excited to be joined by the one and only Glynn Purnell too. We’re sure that this will be the best one yet so be sure to save the date and join us for a deliciously jam-packed Saturday.”

Longbridge Food Festival is on Saturday 13th July from 11am-6pm. Taking place in Longbridge Shopping Park on Austin Way, the festival is free to attend. To find out more about what’s in store, click here

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