Salt Bae donates $60k to Lebanon blast victims

Turkish chef Nusret Gokce, better known as “Salt Bae”, has joined forces with the Turkish Red Crescent to raise money to help victims of the blast that ripped through Beirut on 4 August killing 190 people, the Daily Sabah has reported.

The appeal raised almost $60,000 in just one day from the well known chef’s Istanbul restaurant in an upmarket area of the city.

Gokce, who owns the famous Nusr-Et international steakhouse chain, stood alongside the Turkish wing of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) as part of the “We Are Family” campaign.

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He called upon donors to pledge support for the many thousands of wounded and the hundreds of thousands made homeless by the blast.

In a video posted on Twitter, Gokce and his team are seen marching toward the kitchen of the restaurant, with a caption that says “Let’s go to work for Beirut”.

“Charity night at Nusr-Et”

The world’s famous Nusr-Et has launched a campaign called "We Are A Family" with the aim of supporting relief efforts of the Türk Kızılay in Beirut after the devastating explosion that hit the city last month. #Beiruthttps://t.co/mbJF0IPRlk pic.twitter.com/Eee3H3gUSr

— Türk Kızılay International (@RedCrescent) September 5, 2020

The “Salt Bae” character first rose to international attention in 2017 after a video showed his peculiar way of sprinkling salt on his meats. The video went viral on social media, with many users commenting upon his unique skills, which helped to boost Gokce’s career as a celebrity chef.

His chain of steakhouses can be found in Turkey and international locations such as Dubai, Miami and New York.

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