A woman who spent £750 on vouchers before a Michelin-starred restaurant closed fears she may have lost her money.

Purnell’s in Birmingham, famous for its contemporary seasonal fare, closed in October.

But more than a dozen people contacted the BBC to say they were told vouchers sometimes worth hundreds of pounds would not be accepted.

Glynn Purnell, who runs the restaurant, previously said he was “heartbroken” by the restaurant’s closure, but the chef did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Therese Roberts, a retired marketing worker from Coventry, said she bought £500 worth of vouchers for her children last Christmas, then bought £250 worth of vouchers for a friend.

He said he didn’t even find out the restaurant was closing until he read about it BBC report on this subject.

After contacting the liquidators, Ms Roberts was told the vouchers were non-recoverable and a refund was not possible.

A request to use them at another of Mr. Purnell’s restaurants was also rejected.

“I’m really disappointed,” the 58-year-old actor said. “He classifies himself as a ‘Delicious Brummie’. He blames the greedy chains for taking his job but he didn’t want to communicate or compromise with me.

“I thought he was a better man than that. It left a rotten taste in my mouth.”

Ms Roberts had previously visited Purnell’s with her husband and described it as a “wonderful experience”.

He said he really enjoyed dining at the premium resort and wanted his loved ones to be able to try it, too.

The mother added of Mr Purnell: “He seems like a down-to-earth boy from Chelmsley Forest.”

“I thought you’d understand what it’s like to be an ordinary person on the street.”

Ms Roberts was one of many customers who were told to contact their banks to get a refund, although many received them as gifts and in some cases up to a year in advance.

Sean Devlin, 72, from Malvern, Worcestershire, said he organized a £110 five-course lunch in exchange for two tickets he could no longer use.

The retired headteacher received the voucher as a Christmas present last year, but when he tried to book a table he was told Purnell’s was closed.

“I didn’t get any information from them,” he said. “This really pisses me off.

“They’ve had a hard time, but so have a lot of other people. I’m sure they’ve made good money over the years.”

Angela Blacker, from Broseley in Shropshire, received the same voucher as Mr Devlin as a 60th birthday present.

The retiree was surprised to learn that the gift would not be accepted.

“I was shocked at the level of customer service,” he said. “We had absolutely nothing.

“It’s not our fault he closed the restaurant. I was really looking forward to going somewhere fancy, but that’s not going to happen now.”

Speaking after the restaurant’s closure, Mr Purnell said the restaurant had gone through a “really tough time” and had seen bookings fall by more than 20%.

“Things have moved on and times have changed,” he said. “No one is bulletproof in this current climate.”

But he hinted that there might be more to come, adding: “I’m excited for the future and the next steps in my journey. This isn’t the last you’ll hear of ‘Yummy Brummie’.”

The BBC attempted to reach Mr Purnell several times for comment about the issue with the vouchers but received no response.

We contacted Purnell’s and its liquidator, Mr Purnell’s manager, his former press agent and two other restaurants bearing his name: Plates by Purnell and The Mount by Glynn Purnell.