Gary Neville and Masterchef star's restaurant goes into liquidation with huge tax bill

Gary Neville's Michelin-star restaurant has gone into liquidation with debts reported at almost £1million. The Man Behind the Curtain restaurant, in Leeds, was opened back in 2014.

It was run by Masterchef star Michael O'Hare with sports pundit Neville owning 50 per cent. The fine dining venue was awarded a Michelin star back in 2015 and three AA Rosettes.

It closed its doors last year, with O’Hare announcing a plan at the time to rebrand the Vicar Lane restaurant into Psycho Sandbar, a 'more accessible' fine-dining concept with a new menu format and more choice for diners.

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Newly-filed documents with Companies House have revealed that the business behind The Man Behind The Curtain has an estimated total deficiency of £993,684, with the largest single creditor being HMRC which is owed £519,000.

The filing also shows 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 and the fixtures and fittings worth £152,973 - also having an 'uncertain value'.

The documents show that Neville's termination of appointment as director was filed on September 24. The accounts for 2023 are also listed as being overdue, with those for the previous year of 2022 reporting a profit of £187,000.

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."