You know those poorly-cooked and gold-laden steaks that 'Salt Bae' is shilling for nearly $2k? Well, apparently they're not enough to pay chefs a fair wage. The New York Post reported on Tuesday that the Turkish meme and restaurateur is seeking a Chef de Partie for his London steakhouse, Nusr-Et - and is only offering a measly $16-18 an hour for payment. That barely pays for a single side at the gauche establishment The listing, on caterer.com, reads as follows:
"Amazing opportunity for an experienced Chef De Partie to join Nusret team in the new restaurant.
As a Chef De Partie, you will be working with some of the finest ingredients from the UK and abroad in the one of the most famous steakhouses in the world.
You will play a vital part in a large team and will support the Head Chef during service. To the successful candidate, Nusret London offers a highly competitive salary and excellent opportunities to develop a global career. "
It's incredibly ballsy to offer such a measly wage for an important position - but it's even more ballsy to call it "highly competitive." This isn't the first time that Salt Bae (real name Nusret Gokce) has been in hot water for a compensation-related issue. His chain was sued back in August for misclassifying workers as managers to avoid paying them overtime - even when they were working 72 hours or more.
The internet has been rallying for better wages and better work/life balances - when you're a chef the latter is usually out of reach. But to be paid pennies for a job that requires late hours, causes stress, and often results in substance abuse? It's a crime.