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17
Mar
Owners of Harrogate restaurant Stuzzi respond to liquidation concerns
The owners of Stuzzi in Harrogate have responded to concerns raised following news that its company was liquidated with outstanding debts.
After we recently published an article explaining why we publish stories about local businesses going into liquidation, a reader contacted us about the Italian restaurant business.
The reader, who wished to remain anonymous, wrote:
Stuzzi Ltd owed over £240,000, went into liquidation and set up straight after as Stuzzi Harrogate Ltd.
Meanwhile they posted this weekend (March 7-8) on Instagram that the restaurant was closed as they’ve taken all the staff to Venice!
So they can go bust owing £240k to suppliers and HMRC, and then spend a fortune taking all their staff to Venice. I’m sure the suppliers would love this.
An examination of Companies House records confirms some of this to be true.
Stuzzi Limited was indeed liquidated with more than £241,000 owing to 33 creditors, and Stuzzi Leeds Ltd went into liquidation with more than £356,000 owing to 50 creditors.
The directors of both companies are listed as Brett Domendziak, Nicholas Harvey, Thomas Pearson and James Phillips.
Meanwhile, Stuzzi Harrogate Ltd was incorporated in October 2025, with just one director: Kenneth Pearson.
So the Stray Ferret contacted Stuzzi to ask whether our reader’s fears had any foundation.
All suppliers 'paid in full'
Director Nick Harvey replied with a comprehensive explanation of just what had been happening.
He said:
Myself and Tom, who both live in Harrogate, have taken sole control of the Harrogate restaurant through a new company, Stuzzi Harrogate Ltd. Jimbob and Brett, who are based in Leeds, have taken sole control of the Leeds operation.
With regard to creditors, Stuzzi Harrogate Ltd has taken on the outstanding debts of Stuzzi Ltd. All suppliers have either been paid in full or have agreed payment plans in place. We have long-standing relationships with our suppliers, many of whom are local and independent businesses like ourselves and have worked with for 11 years.
Any remaining debts associated with Stuzzi Ltd were addressed through the liquidation process using the remaining assets of the business, in accordance with the required insolvency procedures.
The new company operating in Leeds is called Orso Bianco. To my knowledge, they have also honoured any debts previously associated with Stuzzi Leeds Ltd.
He added that he was no longer involved with that company, so could not comment on its behalf.
'Freedom to move forward independently'
The liquidations apparently came after the directors decided to part company and continue running their own, separate businesses.
Mr Harvey said:
This was a difficult but necessary decision made to separate the ownership of the two sites after 11 years in business together. Due to the complexity of the existing shareholdings and how embedded the structures had become, we were advised that the most practical way to separate the directors’ interests was to liquidate the existing companies and establish new entities.
The decision followed differing views about the future direction of the business at each site. Given the challenging trading environment within the hospitality sector, we felt it was important for each team to focus on what was best for their respective locations and the long-term sustainability of their restaurants.
Over the past 11 years we have built a strong brand, an excellent team, and a great reputation together, and we remain on good terms. However, we reached a point where we each wanted to pursue different goals, and separating the businesses allowed everyone the freedom to move forward independently.
Stuzzi, which is named after the small dishes it serves ("stuzzichini"), has earned regular mentions in the Michelin Guide and The Good Food Guide. It is also frequently cited as a favourite place to eat by company bosses interviewed for the Stray Ferret's Business Q&A feature.
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