What started as a buzzy celebrity-backed movement to change the way people eat has now reached an unfortunate halt.
Neat Burger — the plant-based fast-food chain supported by Sir Lewis Hamilton and Leonardo DiCaprio — has officially gone into liquidation.
Liquidation Confirmed in Official Documents
According to newly filed paperwork with Companies House, Neat Burger entered liquidation in July.
The company’s liquidators, FRP Advisory, completed the statutory notice of solvency form on 22 July, and it was processed on 31 July.
The documents revealed that the company’s book value — the amount shareholders could potentially walk away with — stood at just over £1.27 million as of early July.
Shutting Down All UK Locations
Earlier this year, all eight of Neat Burger’s UK outlets closed their doors for good.
Branches in high-profile locations like Camden, Soho, Oxford Circus, and Canary Wharf went dark — a clear sign the company’s grand expansion wasn’t paying off.
Half of these locations had already shut down in 2023, leading to a wave of job losses.
At the time, a spokesperson struck an optimistic tone, saying: “Sometimes, taking a step back is necessary to make a bigger leap forward.” Unfortunately, that leap never came.
From Ambitious Growth to Mounting Losses
Neat Burger launched in 2019 with lofty goals: to revolutionize fast food by making plant-based eating more mainstream.
Hamilton himself once said the idea was to make meat-free meals more accessible — whether someone was fully vegan or just trying to cut back.
But the numbers didn’t add up. The company’s 2023 filings showed a hefty loss of nearly £7.9 million for the year ending December 2022.
The group blamed the lingering effects of lockdowns and changing customer habits — noting that future locations would need to be smaller and located in areas with heavy foot traffic.
This revised strategy led them to cancel expansion plans for new sites like King’s Road, Queensway, and Waterloo.
Big Names, Big Money — But Still No Profit
Neat Burger wasn’t short on big backers. Besides Hamilton and DiCaprio, the business had support from SoftBank and was led by early Beyond Meat investor Ryan Bishti.
At one point, the company was valued at $70 million following a 2021 funding round and eyed international growth — with outlets in Milan and New York.
The chain also explored non-traditional models like “dark kitchens,” where meals are prepared exclusively for delivery.
But even these pivots couldn’t steer the business into profitability.
DiCaprio and the Bigger Mission
Leonardo DiCaprio had high hopes for Neat Burger, praising its mission to disrupt the food system.
“Disrupting our food system with sustainable alternatives is one of the key ways we can make a real difference in reducing global emissions,” he said previously.
He called Neat Burger “a great example of the type of solutions we need moving forward.”
Sadly, even noble missions can stumble under financial pressure.
A Tough Time for the Plant-Based Market
Neat Burger’s collapse isn’t an isolated case — it’s part of a broader downturn in the plant-based food space.
Just this week, Beyond Meat, one of the biggest names in the industry, announced job cuts after falling short of Wall Street’s second-quarter revenue expectations.
Demand for vegan meat in the U.S. has also dipped amid rising prices and economic uncertainty.
UK Hospitality Sector Under Pressure
It’s not just the plant-based niche feeling the squeeze.
Across Britain, hospitality businesses are struggling with high energy bills, steep business rates, rising wages, and employer national insurance costs.
In this tough climate, even well-funded, celebrity-endorsed ventures are finding it hard to survive.
What’s Next for Neat Burger?
While Neat Burger’s story has come to an end in the UK, its international presence — including ventures in the U.S. and Italy — may still carry forward, though the future remains uncertain.
FRP Advisory has yet to make further comments about potential recoveries or the status of global operations.
For now, Neat Burger serves as a reminder that in the fast-changing food industry, star power and strong ideals aren’t always enough to keep a business afloat.
