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Gary Neville’s Michelin-star restaurant The Man Behind The Curtain closed its doors last year.
Gary Neville’s Michelin-Star Restaurant Shut Down (Instagram)
Gary Neville’s Michelin-star restaurant The Man Behind The Curtain has gone into liquidation with debts of £1 million. The Manchester United legend opened the restaurant in Leeds almost a decade ago in 2014. The former defender owned nearly 50% of the business. The restaurant was run by Masterchef Michael O’Hare. It received a Michelin star in 2015 along with three AA rosettes in 2016. After 10 years of business, The Daily Mail states that the venue has folded with a massive unpaid tax bill of £519,000. Before closing last December the restaurant had an average rating of 4.5 stars at TripAdvisor. Towards the end of its run more and more lower-rated reviews marred the overall rating.
Newly submitted documents with Companies House reveal that The Man Behind The Curtain has an overall deficiency of £993,684. The single largest creditor is HMRC which is owed £519,000. The filings further show that Neville’s company Relentless Leisure is owed £366,848.
Gary Neville’s The Man Behind The Curtain restaurant gained a reputation for its extravagant delicacies. The menu included several high-priced dishes including the red prawn served on a telephone – a play on Salvador Dali’s ‘Lobster Telephone.’ Other unique creations included olives wrapped in edible cellophane served with salt and vinegar ox cheek. The restaurant’s pork rind and chocolate pudding were also some of the prized dishes. The menu also featured the ‘Emancipation’ dish of ‘cured rod, charred gem, dashi and vinegar’. This particular delicacy was Chef Michael O’Hare’s creation for the BBC’s Great British Menu in 2015.
Depending on the time of the day, the restaurant had a 10 or 14-course menu with lunch costing £95 and dinner £145 or £165 as per the Daily Mail. A ‘prestige paring’ drinks package would set you back £180. In May 2023, the restaurant also began a ‘menu rapide’ four-course lunch for £40. Despite all the innovations, this venture from the former England international eventually ended in failure. After the restaurant closed its doors last year, Masterchef Michael O’Haree opened a new restaurant in the city called Psycho Sandbar.
Gary Neville will now have his eyes on another business venture. He is the majority share owner of Salford City. It is reported that Neville is looking for a new strategic partner to take the club forward.
