News

Gary Neville’s Leeds restaurant has gone into liquidation with £1million debts including £519,000 owed in taxes.

Gary Neville’s Leeds restaurant has gone into liquidation with £1million debts including £519,000 owed in taxes.

The restaurant, called Man Behind the Curtain, was launched in 2014 and was run by chef Michael O’Hare, with Neville owning 50 per cent.

The restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in October 2015, as well as three AA Rosettes in 2016 and attracted investment from Neville.

After opening, it gained a reputation for modern but unique dishes including olives wrapped in edible cellophane, salt and vinegar ox cheek, and chocolate pudding and pork rinds.

But it closed its doors at the end of 2023 and O’Hare has since opened a new restaurant in the city called Psycho Sandbar.

Now, newly-filed documents with Companies House, have shown that Neville’s company Relentless Leisure is owed £366,848.

The Statement of Affairs reported £9,500 in estimated assets for creditors; a director’s loan owed at £500,000 described as ‘uncertain’ for payback, with fixtures and fittings worth £152,973 also having an ‘uncertain value’.

Banks are reported as being owed £14,000 with HMRC’s debt comprising of two bills — one being £119,090 and the other being £400,194, according to The Sun.

The accounts for 2023 are overdue, but those for 2022 reported a profit of £187,000 and reserves of £105,938.

Speaking at the time of the closure, Mr O’Hare said the decision was ‘very much based on my exciting plans for the future, but is reflective of the changing experience market in which we all live’.

In a statement Mr O’Hare, who had appeared on shows including Great British Menu and Masterchef, said he was ‘incredibly proud’ of his team’s work over the last decade.

Writing on LinkedIn earlier this year, Neville said: ‘A few years ago I signed one of the most instinctive and incredible deals that I’ve ever done when I went into partnership with Michael O’Hare on ‘The Man Behind The Curtain’ restaurant in Leeds.

‘At the end of a meal I had at the restaurant, Michael presented me with the bill, but it wasn’t a normal bill, it was a bill that had a figure on it accompanied with a note that said this will give you 50 per cent of the restaurant, and from that moment on I was the co-owner of a Michelin star restaurant in Leeds.

‘Fast forward to today and it’s taken a brave and courageous decision for Michael to give up his Michelin star and open a new restaurant, Psycho Sandbar, that I went to earlier on in the week.

‘It’s a sensational restaurant with an unbelievable experience and a brilliant job from Michael and his team. If you ever get the chance to visit, I highly recommend it.’

Neville retired from football in 2011 after spending his career with Manchester United and serving as club captain for five years.

Since then, he has established a £100million empire, with ventures in everything from hospitality and property to digital marketing.

However, he has faced setbacks amid claims one of his high-end Manchester hotels lost £3.2million over the pandemic and owed ‘£10million in loans’.

And Gary has been slated in the past for advertising for workers on minimum wage to staff one of his luxury hotels, which can charge more than £800 a night for a suite.

Among his major enterprises is Hotel Football, a luxury hotel overlooking Old Trafford, and The Stock Exchange Hotel near Piccadilly Gardens, one of the top hotels in Manchester, alongside former team-mate Ryan Giggs.

But it’s not been smooth sailing for his hospitality businesses, which has been hit by a number of controversies.

In 2020 it was reported the Hotel Football suffered a loss of more than £3million over the space of two years.

Part of the Old Trafford Supports Club, set up in 2012, the site struggled during the Covid pandemic.

According to reports in the Daily Star, Hotel Football lost £1.1m in 2021 and £2.1m the year before.

A report by parent company Orchid Leisure had loaned the business £10.2million to keep the hotel afloat.

In quotes attached to the figures, Neville said trading had been ‘hit drastically’ by the pandemic, and that Covid restrictions had ‘affected the financial figures.’

He added ‘challenges around inflation and the labour market continue up to this day,’ but ‘the directors have continued their policy of investing in the hotel to improve operational performance and to promote the Hotel Football brand even post the pandemic year.

‘The directors feel that whatever the case the quality of the brand and of the property they manage cannot be sacrificed.’

Related Posts

Reason I’m A Celebrity’s Tulisa and Reverend Richard Coles are exempt from height trials is revealed

I’m A Celebrity fans discovered last night that Tulisa and Reverend Richard Coles were exempt from height trials, with the N-Dubz singer accidentally revealing hers was on ‘medical grounds’. Before the voting opened for tonight’s Bushtucker trial, the show’s longtime hosts Ant and Dec announced Tulisa, 36, and Reverend Coles, 62, would be exempt from the trial with no further explanation. Fans were left speculating as to why even when the Geordie duo told the camp Dean McCullough, 32, was going to face a trial yet again.

New bank holiday planned to mark major event anniversary in 2025

Brits are to get a new bank holiday next year to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War – with a bumper four-day weekend planned. The major celebration will be marking the heroics of the ‘Greatest Generation’ who fought against Hitler and the Nazis in Europe and Africa, and Imperial Japan in Asia. And as part of a big year of events, a four-day jamboree will reportedly be staged either in May or August.

Gavin Newsom proposes ‘insane’ move against Elon Musk as he attempts to defy Trump with electric car rebates that excludes Tesla

Gavin Newsom is plotting to defy Donald Trump while stiffing key MAGA ally Elon Musk, as California plans an electric vehicle rebate program that intentionally leaves out Tesla. The California governor is planning to introduce a state tax rebate on purchasing electric cars if the Trump administration eliminates the federal tax cut. Newsom even bragged that his policies have made Tesla and Musk ‘so damn successful.’

Supreme Court hearing which will determine the definition of a woman begins TODAY – in a case with major implications for female-only spaces

A Supreme Court hearing that will determine the definition of a woman begins today in a case with major implications for female-only spaces. The case – which has been brought by gender-critical activists – will see five justices consider the question: ‘Is a person with a full gender recognition certificate which recognises that their gender is female, a ‘woman’ for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010?’ Feminist group For Women Scotland (FWS) will argue that trans women should not be able to fill roles meant for biological women under legislation designed to ensure equal numbers of men and women on company boards.

Santas sacked for ‘being right wing’:  Hunger strike grandfather is ousted for Reform support – as pensioner’s anti-Labour social media posts get him  banned from donating to food bank

Two local Santas have been given the ‘sack’ for expressing right-wing political views. Paul Cleary, 70, of Wath upon Dearne in South Yorkshire, volunteers as Father Christmas for a local charity each year, offering visits to families and attending the lights switch-on with the Lord Mayor. However, this year he has been left distraught after being told the group is dispensing with his services due to his anti-Labour social media posts, as well as being advised not to use the money he raises as Santa to donate to the local food bank.

Democrats spark outrage with desperate fundraising ploy after blowing millions on celebrity performances

Democratic National Committee workers are asking for charitable donations after  making significant layoffs in a dramatic downsizing after Vice President Kamala Harris lost the election. The pleas for donations sparked outrage on social media, as memories of the massive $1 billion Kamala Harris campaign spending spree were still fresh, including millions of dollars spent to host celebrity filled town halls for the vice president. Two-thirds of DNC staffers were laid off as part of the downsizing on Wednesday, with only one day’s notice and no severance, according to the union.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *