Purnell's fine dining restaurant scooping the New Restaurant of the Year award at the Craft Guild's annual Oscars' ceremony was, as the theme proclaimed. ‘justice done'.

“I was chuffed to bits when I found out we had won. It's brilliant to be recognised by critics and fellow craftsmen. It's a high honour,” says chef owner Glynn Purnell.

This gem in Birmingham's city centre opened its doors to the public in July 2007. It is housed in a Victorian red brick and terracotta corner building, with large windows on both sides. But it wasn't as simple as this when Purnell first visited his new venture. “Purnell's started off as a big square old Victorian warehouse. Then me, along with the designer Yuji Suzuki, worked together to create a contemporary, slick interior.”

The Michelin starred chef was also heavily involved in the licensing of the restaurant, the business plans, and the writing and developing of the menus. “It was a shock at first but I have gained a lot of experience from it. There were a few difficulties but it has taken me a year to get it right.”

Which he has obviously done and he is proud of the fact that the restaurant is currently fully booked every weekend until November.

The restaurant area, which accommodates up to 45 diners, houses its own bar and lounge area where guests can enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail or after dinner coffee or digestif. The restaurant also boasts a private dining room that is suitable for parties up to 12 people.

Among the Craft Guild judging panel's comments was praise for the exceptionally large reception area, the friendly welcome and the excellent ambience of the restaurant. “Good front of house is all about communication, with front and back staff working as a team.” explains Purnell.

Purnell, aged 33, has worked with some top culinary stars during his career including Gary Rhodes at The Greenhouse, Gordon Ramsay at Aubergine and Alistair Little at Frith Street.

Recently he played a key role on BBC's Great British Menu series and won the national final with his dessert. He has also appeared on UKTV Food's Great Food Live programme, as well as presenting a BBC1 documentary ‘Working the Sea'. Last year he joined Gordon Ramsay's panel of judges for the semi final and final of the Ramsay Scholarship held at the BBC Good Food Show.

He heads a brigade of six chefs in his kitchen – a pastry chef, sous chef, chef de partie, two demi chef de parties, and a commis chef. A further five members of staff work front of house. The private room also hosts a series of cookery lessons headed by Purnell himself, which take place when there is a demand for them. “These courses are very small and bespoke and last a couple of hours at a time. I take a maximum of six people on a guided tour of the kitchen, and then prepare a couple of dishes in front of them. We then sit down to enjoy a tasting menu.”

Purnell, who gained Birmingham's first Michelin star at his previous restaurant, Jessica's in Edgbaston, prides himself on the provenance of his food. “We serve some of the best fish and English produce. But it's not local or nothing with me. If I can get quality strawberries or ingredients from Scotland, England or Wales, then that is what I will do. But I try my best to stay British.

“With regular visits to farms and fisheries, you build a relationship with your suppliers. If I need to start using lemon sole for instance, my suppliers will suggest it.”

Delights on the lunchtime menu include two speciality starters of homemade beef, bresaola, beetroot sorbet, horseradish and marjoram along with English asparagus salad which features poached egg yolk, shallots, hazelnuts and rocket. Other lunchtime dishes not to be missed are slow cooked pig cheeks with maple syrup, celeriac, apple and lentils or sea bream with melon, cream of feta, black olive and lettuce.

If that's not enough to get the diner's taste buds flowing, the evening menu offers dishes such as cured salmon in coriander seeds and orange with wasabi, borage leave, enoki mushrooms and an orange glaze, and salad of Devonshire crab, followed by a choice of glazed pig cheeks, roasted tail of fillet of beef, sea bass, brill and Cornish lamb.

These main courses are rounded off nicely with a selection of mouth watering desserts such as the hot crispy cinnamon ravioli, dark chocolate torte, and lemon and honey parfait. Purnell focuses heavily on the seasonality of his dishes: “I believe my food is unique and has its own style. Depending on the radical changes of the season, I will change our menus every couple of months.”

Not forgetting the drinks menu, an extensive wine degustation has been designed by restaurant manager and sommelier Jean Benoit Burloux to complement the seven-course menu gastronomique. Each month Burloux highlights some of their exciting new arrivals, along with some background on the wine and the producers.

To quench diners' thirst is the Les Roque white Pays D'Oc 2004 by Jean-Marc Boillot priced at £32.95 a bottle, and if guests are looking for something rich and textured, the Stellenbosch, Rudera Chenin Blanc 2006 is available by the glass and the bottle.

Specials on the reds menu include Le Clos Salomon, Givry Premier Cru 2005 at £46.50 per bottle described as “brimming with raw fruit energy”, along with the Nalle Zinfandel 2005 which is claimed to be “intense, elegant and structured, much more of a food wine than its lumbering peers” at £59.95 per bottle. A selection of champagne cocktails, spirits, liqueurs and soft drinks are also available.

One judge was particularly surprised but impressed with the restaurant serving its finest champagne, Dom Perignon, by the glass priced at £25.

“We introduced this because we wanted to attract a wider audience, including our customers that may be driving. At least this way we could offer them a glass rather than a bottle. We also needed to bear in mind the rising prices of alcohol,” explains Burloux.