The controversy over Salt Bae's staggering receipts continues: the latest amounts to a whopping €100,000, and as usual, users' anger is unleashed against the "meat king." However, in response, he announces plans to cut heating costs in his venues.
Cover photo: @ADFO
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Posting receipts with extravagant prices seems to be the elixir of Salt Bae's success and his "meat empire." Just like a magic potion to be taken every few hours, otherwise, the spell fades, the irreverent Turkish butcher and entrepreneur - Nusret Gokce on paper, but known to all as Salt Bae - never fails to continue posting staggering bills on his Instagram page. This time, the ultra-luxurious dinner was enjoyed by four diners at his restaurant in Dubai. Fueling even more controversy and indignation on the web is the receipt for 398,630 dirhams, or €99,639, with the comment below the photo: "Money comes and goes."
Salt Bae, an expert provocateur well aware of his media exploits, has shown everyone the incriminated bill, which includes, in order: a carpaccio for €68.70; a fillet covered in edible gold sauce for €250; three golden steaks for €425 each; fries for €13; a plate of fruit sold for €60; and baklava (traditional Turkish sweets) for €105. The amount, already substantial, explodes when it comes to drinks: the 4 diners (who spent about €25,000 each) sipped on a bottle of 2011 Petrus costing €16,250 and two bottles - also Petrus - from 2009 sold for €49,250 each. Needless to say, the media uproar was overwhelming, with over 12,000 comments continuously growing, dominated by criticism. "The most expensive and overrated restaurant," for example, or: "It's embarrassing that someone would spend €100,000 just on food," writes someone who also accuses the diners along with the entrepreneur.
And again: "A dinner that costs as much as an apartment"; "The entire Gaza Strip could have been fed for a month with that money," reads through the comments, where there are also those who recall the situation in Turkey where Salt was born and raised. So: "Such a waste of money... It would be nice if at least 50% went to charity." However, some support him, asserting that everyone can do what they want with their money. Who knows what the next bill will hold...
In the meantime, as reported by The Guardian, in the butcher-chef's venues, efforts are being made to contain expenses: the need is to "improve operational energy efficiency with efforts such as turning off centralized heating after closing or during peak hours when heating demand is lower, and turning off lights during closing hours." According to previous company statements, however, "profits before taxes increased by 44% to almost £3.3 million in 2022, while sales grew by almost 66% to £13.6 million in 2022." Apparently, a leap that is insufficient to stem the rising prices of the latest bills. However, discussion continues on this as well!
