Salt Bae SLAMMED by staff as golden steak seller’s workers say they aren’t respected & restaurants are ‘ruled by fear’

MILLIONAIRE steak legend Salt Bae has been savaged by his own staff.

The butcher turned international restaurant chain boss is now a global sensation thanks to his monster gold-encrusted £1,450 steaks at his Nusr-Et eateries.

Refer to CaptionNusret Gökçe has become a global sensation thanks to his monster gold-encrusted £1,450 steaks[/caption]

AlamyBut employees have laid bare concerns about working for the “overbooked” restaurant[/caption]

But he has come under fire from some diners for his sky-high prices and in the US he was ordered to pay £170,000 to staff after being accused of withholding tips.

Now workers have taken to respected job site Glassdoor to rate their time toiling under Salt Bae – and many have given him a grilling.

The firm has a mediocre 2.6 out of 5 rating and only 35 per cent of workers said they would recommend working for Salt Bae, real name Nusret Gökçe, to a friend or relative.

One wrote last month: “Managers are disorganised and don’t respect you, HR basically works under the managers. They overbook too much and it gets so hectic/overwhelming that customers and employees quit like flies.”

A would-be worker said: “Seems to be very disorganized! They seem to have problems with their scheduling of interviews!

“They lack professional courtesy in regards to following up with potential candidates! After reviewing positions on glass door this might be a company you want to pass on!”

A server in Miami said: “Give a crap about your staff and not just money. Maybe let the staff actually taste the food we sell for you? Let us see our tips and how they’re distributed. Stop being sketchy about everything.”

Another person added: “Not enough hours, passive aggressive clients.”

And another said the firm was “ruled by fear” and added: “Company doesn’t care about employees.”

The Sun has approached Nurs-Et eateries and Nusret Gökçe for comment.

CHEAP AS CHIPS

Gökçe, 38, launched the first branch of the chain in Istanbul in 2010 and he opened his London outlet in September to widespread astonishment at his monster prices.

The frustrated outcries follow revelations his London premises was hiring chefs – but the hourly wage is the same price as a plate of mashed potato on his menu.

The UK branch of Gökçe’s meat empire promises a “competitive salary” for applicants, but it seems that’s only equivalent to a side of spuds.

The restaurant, situated in Knightsbridge, is on the hunt for a Chef de Partie to join the ranks.

The role typically involves working in one area of the kitchen and rallying several cooks and assistants.

Nusr-Et’s job advert boasts that the successful applicant “will be working with some of the finest ingredients from the UK and abroad in one of the most famous steakhouses in the world.”

But the chef will take home just £12 an hour, plus tips, meaning they would have to work over 52 hours to chow down on one of their £630 golden tomahawk steaks.

Salt Bae previously went on a mass hiring spree last month, hosting a three-day event in an attempt to track down new employees.

He called for waiters, runners, bartenders and many other job titles to nip in Nusr-et with their CVs.

But his open call drastically backfired – as The Sun revealed not a single person turned up.

Despite expecting queues around the corner, the top-flight restaurant was left awkwardly empty.

WORTH THE HYPE?

One waiter at Salt-Bae’s extortionate restaurant in Turkey who claimed he never met him says people only discuss prices because it’s “on-trend” to do so and defended the brand Gökçe created.

“There are so many people who come to take pictures,” he said.

“In today’s world, everything has become about names and brands and Nusret has created a really strong brand.

“I see a lot of comments from social media that Nusr-Et is expensive, but I think that they are criticizing because Nusret is well known and discussing prices is on-trend.

“If you go to restaurants that serve French food or other luxury restaurants the prices will be more or less the same.”

He might be referring to the flurry of critical reviews of the Nusr-Et Steakhouse London in Knightsbridge in the South West of the capital has garnered.

The restaurant charges £9 for a single glass of coke, £100 for a gold-gilded burger and £60 for a single tempura roll.

The Evening Standard’s restaurant critic Jimi Famurewa branded Nurs-Et Steakhouse London home to “the capital’s worst burger” and said the restaurant wasn’t worth the hype.

GettyHe opened his first UK restaurant in London’s Knightsbridge in September, bringing his total number of venues to 15[/caption]

Refer to CaptionTo diners at his restaurants, Nusret Gokce cuts a charismatic figure – hanging out with celebs and tossing seasoning £700 steaks[/caption]

The flamboyant Turkish chef was taken on as a butcher’s apprentice at 13 because his family couldn’t afford to keep him in school