December 13th 2024.
Celebrity chef Simon Rimmer's chain of restaurants has unfortunately gone into debt, owing over £500,000 to creditors. In 1990, Simon and co-owner Simon Connolly purchased Greens, a vegetarian restaurant in Manchester, where Simon also took on the role of head chef. The restaurant quickly gained recognition, becoming the first fully vegetarian establishment to be featured in The Good Food Guide. Simon later opened a second location in Greater Manchester in 2022.
However, due to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, the second location was forced to close its doors earlier this year, followed by the original Greens restaurant in September. The decision to close the restaurants permanently was not an easy one for Simon, as he had poured his heart and soul into the business for 33 years. Unfortunately, it has now been revealed that the chain is in significant debt, with over half a million pounds still owed to various creditors.
The largest amount is owed to HMRC, with nearly £460,000 in unpaid VAT and PAYE. Trade creditors are owed around £75,000, while consumers who had purchased vouchers and gift cards are missing out on over £35,000. The Royal Bank of Scotland is also owed over £13,000. The administrator Begbies Traynor has stated that these debts will not be fully recovered through the administration process.
In September 2024, the directors of Greens made the difficult decision to close the restaurants for good after realizing that the outstanding debt could not be paid off through trading or time to pay schemes. Simon described it as a heartbreaking development, as the restaurant chain had been the cornerstone of his life. He also mentioned that closing it down was the toughest decision he had ever made in his business career.
Simon's journey as a chef began when he taught himself to cook after studying fashion and textile design. He later appeared on various TV shows such as Granada Breeze, This Morning, and The One Show before hosting Something for the Weekend with Tim Lovejoy from 2006 to 2012. In the same year, they moved to Channel 4 to present Sunday Brunch, which has been a successful show since. Simon has also made appearances on Great British Menu, Celebrity Mastermind, and even competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2017.
The closure of Greens has undoubtedly been a difficult time for Simon, and Metro has reached out to his representatives for a comment on the matter. If you have a celebrity story, video, or pictures, you can get in touch with The Agency entertainment team through their website. They would love to hear from you.
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