Gary Neville and Masterchef star's restaurant goes into liquidation

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'.

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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.

Dragon Gary Neville's 'business empire'

• Started as a property developer while still playing at Man United 
• Co-owns League Two Salford City with Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and brother Phil, plus Peter Lim 
• Owns The Stock Exchange Hotel, one of the top hotels in Manchester, alongside former team-mate Giggs
• University UA92 is 'disrupting the traditional model' as it helps disadvantaged young people
• Lucrative £120million St Michael's property development is being built in Manchester city centre
• His Overlap YouTube series raked in £180,000 in profit last year

'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.'