On Friday, 2nd October, 400 foodies joined trustee of Cure Leukaemia Glynn Purnell, and his celebrity friends Masterchef judge Gregg Wallace, TV personality, chef, singer and actress Rustie Lee, and BBC TV and radio presenter Phil Upton as host for a fun-filled Friday like no other at Villa Park.

Guests were treated to a three course meal demonstrated right in front of them by Michelin-starred chef Glynn Purnell, which included Rustie Lee’s jerk chicken terrine, and a trio of Birmingham inspired puddings.

Glynn said: “GPFNK was even bigger and better this year thanks to Gregg, Rustie and most of all, our fantastic guests! There was such a great buzz in the room, and everyone came together to have fun whilst raising money for Cure Leukaemia, a charity I am immensely proud to support.”

Cure Leukaemia was founded in 2003 to support the world class Centre for Clinical Haematology at The QE Hospital Birmingham. The money raised will go towards supporting the work of Professor Charlie Craddock and his team to fund life-saving clinical trials across the West Midlands. The £60,000 raised from the evening equates to 600,000 potentially pioneering life-saving drugs for patients with blood cancer in the region.

The event was supported by a number of West Midlands sponsors, including Birmingham Airport, Turkish Airlines, Nuneaton-based lighting specialists Lightique, Elonex Outdoor Media, OGL Computer, Rudell The Jewellers, Black and White Hospitality, Graypaul Birmingham, Enotria Wines, Wilkinson Beven Design, Succeed and Rewired PR.

Paul Kehoe, CEO at Birmingham Airport, said: “We were delighted to be the headline sponsor for Glynn’s event and his charity Cure Leukaemia. GPFNK further highlighted how much our city truly has to offer, whether it’s through culture, its rich dining scene or the amazing work of our local charities and hospitals, it brings people together from all over to celebrate the best of Birmingham. We should be proud to be a part of this developing city.”

During the night, one lucky guest won her very own dining experience with Glynn who will be cooking Sunday lunch for six guests in her home. A range of auction prizes were also up for grabs, including a pair of business class tickets from Turkish Airlines, six places in a corporate box at Warwickshire County Cricket Club, and a matchday hospitality bronze package at Aston Villa Football Club.

James McLaughlin, CEO at Cure Leukaemia, added: “Without the generous support of our guests and sponsors, it would not be possible to continue to fund the amazing work of Professor Charlie Craddock and our nurses; therefore we truly appreciate everyone who helped us make GPFNK a massive success this year.”