Glynn's gourmet faggot night on TV

Faggots and peas may seem more suited to a Black Country dinner table or old-fashioned cafe than a fine-dining banquet.

But tonight, viewers can watch Michelin-starred Midland chef Glynn Purnell present his own twist on the regional favourite to a panel of expert judges, battling it out with Cambridge's Daniel Clifford for the right to cook a feast for troops returning from Afghan-istan.

The 34-year-old, who runs acclaimed Birmingham restaurant Purnell's, is bidding to regain his crown as central champion on BBC2's Great British Menu, with the regional final at 6.30pm.

Chelmsley Wood-born Glynn is a fierce supporter of locally sourced produce and the ingredients he has used for this week's series have included spices from West Bromwich's East End Foods factory, in Kenrick Way. He researched the faggots by tasting the secret recipe used at 120-year-old Walsall butchers WT Hill and Sons, in Butts Road, in a bid to create the ultimate British dish.

Local flavours are found throughout his Great British Menu offerings, including his own version of HP Sauce and masala monkfish, inspired by Midlanders' well known love of curry. Black pudding crumble, pig trotter nuggets and Lichfield-grown asparagus also feature at Purnell's, in Cornwall Street.

He said that for the show he wanted to create a meal for the troops featuring things that they would miss from home.

"Faggots are such a typical regional dish and people often forget where it comes from and this has been a good opportunity to highlight what a tasty dish it is.

"There are certain flavours which we have forgotten about that need to be brought back. Some kids have never tasted things like faggots," Purnell said.