Gino D’Acampo Restaurant Firm Hit With HMRC Winding-Up Petition
The corporate entity operating celebrity chef Gino D’Acampo’s British restaurant network faces a winding-up petition filed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs in the High Court, according to records seen by City AM. Upmarket Hotels & Leisure, which manages six locations across England, confronts the legal action over unpaid tax liabilities, threatening the high street footprint of the hospitality business just over a year after a previous administration rescue.
High Court Filing Threatens Post-Collapse Recovery
A winding-up petition is a formal legal process used against a company that owes money and is unable to pay its debts. HMRC deploys this statutory tool against corporate entities that fail to clear outstanding tax bills after exhausting alternative collection methods. According to an HMRC spokesperson, the agency takes a supportive approach to customers with tax debts and files petitions only once other options are exhausted to protect taxpayer money.
The current filing arrives shortly after a tumultuous restructuring period. Upmarket Hotels & Leisure fell into administration last year before an unnamed buyer stepped in with a £5m rescue deal that preserved all 400 jobs across the portfolio. Despite that transaction, liabilities accumulated rapidly. Companies House filings indicate that losses widened to nearly £1.5m during the administration window, accompanied by total debts reaching almost £6m.
Structure of the Portfolio and Stakeholder Exposure
The operating entity controls four flagship Gino D’Acampo-branded venues in Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, and Leeds, alongside the Luciano by Gino D’Acampo site situated on the Strand in London. In total, six venues operate across England under the chef’s culinary brand. The Manchester-based business was established in 2021, with majority ownership previously held by hospitality entrepreneur Steven Walker and former JD Sports boss Peter Cowgill.
When Upmarket collapsed into administration under the supervision of insolvency practitioners from Begbies Traynor, Peter Cowgill was owed more than £2.6m. Corporate records show that Cowgill retains ownership of more than half of the company. D’Acampo, who gained national prominence following his 2009 appearance on the reality television programme I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here, lends his name and profile to the operations through cookbooks, television broadcasting, and media appearances.