SALT BAE first shot to fame in 2017 and has been a staple of pop culture ever since.
The Turkish food influencer has several successful business endeavours but fans may be curious to know more about his personal and family life.
Who is Salt Bae?
Salt Bae is a butcher, chef, and restaurateur whose real name is Nusret Gökçe.
He was born in 1983 in Erzurum, Turkey, to a Kurdish family.
His father, Faik, was a mineworker, and his mother is called Fatma.
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When he was in primary school, Gökçe was forced to leave his studies and work as a butcher's apprentice in Istanbul due to his family's struggle with money.
In his twenties, he then travelled Buenos Aires to learn more about their beef and the art of butchery.
It was there that his dream to open a restaurant originated.
Gökçe now owns many restaurants worldwide.
How did Nusret become famous?
Gökçe became famous at the start on the 2017 when he became the subject of a viral internet meme.
The star rose to prominence from a series of viral clip and memes that showed him cutting meat and sprinkling salt in a unique way.
The original video of him, posted on January 7, 2017, received more than 10 million views on Instagram.
The clip showed Nusret lovingly preparing an Ottoman steak.
From that video he was nicknamed "Salt Bae" - a name that has stuck ever since.
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Salt Bae quickly became a celebrity in his own right and started cooking for famous faces like David Beckham, Leonardo DiCaprio, and DJ Khaled.
As of December 2023, his Instagram page has in excess of 53million followers.
In 2022 Gökçe caused outrage with his antics at the football World Cup final in Qatar.
The star was captured appearing to pester members of Argentina's winning team to pose for pictures and videos with him moments after their momentous victory.
It was later reported that he was banned from attending a US sporting event following his behaviour at the World Cup final.
What is Nusret's net worth?
Nusret's net worth is estimated to be around £44million, as of December 2023.
He has made his fortune through his many restaurants and various endorsement deals.
Salt Bae is known for his extravagant dishes and in 2023 a chippy boss dubbed "Salt and Vinegar Bae" flew to Turkey to meet the original Salt Bae, his inspiration.
Ozan Bakici, from South East London, was invited to one of Nusret's restaurants after he made headlines for his own signature dish, the world-first 24-carat gold cod.
Where are Salt Bae's restaurants?
Gökçe opened his first Nusr-Et steakhouse in Istanbul in 2010.
As the brand grew, he opened restaurants across the Middle East, including in Ankara, Doha and Dubai.
After his viral internet fame, Gökçe opened a total of 13 restaurants within the year, expanding into America and Greece.
In 2021, he opened the first London branch of the chain in Knightsbridge.
In 2023 it was reported that he had been forced to reduce the high prices at his establishment in the UK capital.
Nusr-et's restaurant locations are spread across the globe.
You can find them in:
- Ankara
- Bodrum
- Marmaris
- Istanbul
- Dubai
- Abu Dhabi
- Doha
- Jeddah
- Miami
- New York
- Mykonos
- Boston
- Dallas
- Beverly Hills
- London
What does Salt Bae mean?
The word "bae" is colloquially used as a shortened version of the word "babe" or "baby".
Despite Nusret's loving tendency towards his meat, the word "bae" in this context is actually also an acronym.
Salt Bae can be translated to "salt before anyone else".
Is Nusret married and does he have kids?
Nusret, aka Salt Bae, has kept his relationship status private since he shot to fame.
He once claimed he was too busy for a relationship, saying he was "so concentrated on meat".
Fans have speculated that he may be a father thanks a candid snap of himself and nine young children that was posted online in 2016.
He captioned the picture: 'The man who didn't spend time with his family wasn't a real man" - leading his followers to wonder if he is a parent to all the children in the social media post.
