Gary Neville's Michelin-star restaurant goes into liquidation with huge debts

Gary Neville's Michelin-star restaurant, The Man Behind the Curtain, has gone into liquidation with reported debts nearing £1m. The Leeds-based restaurant, which opened in 2014, was co-owned by Masterchef star Michael O'Hare and sports pundit Neville.

The establishment earned a Michelin star in 2015 and three AA Rosettes before closing last year. O'Hare had plans to transform the Vicar Lane restaurant into Psycho Sandbar, offering a more accessible fine-dining experience.

However, recent documents filed with Companies House reveal that the business behind The Man Behind The Curtain has an estimated total debts of £993,684. HMRC is listed as the largest single creditor, owed £519,000, while Neville's company, Relentless Leisure, is owed £366,848.

The filings also indicate that Neville's directorship ended on September 24. The accounts for 2023 are overdue, with the previous year's accounts showing a profit of £187,000.

Earlier this year Ex-England and Manchester United defender Neville shared on LinkedIn an extraordinary tale of a business deal that began in a unique way: "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.", reports the Manchester Evening News.

He recounted an unusual billing experience at the establishment: "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."

Neville also spoke about recent developments: "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."

He praised the new venture: "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."