Chef spoofs Salt Bae’s £1,450 steak by serving £12 gold leaf pork pie

Ross McGuinness
·3-min read
Chef Gareth Mason from the Absolute Bar and Bistro, Bolton, who took the challenge to see if everyday food could be improved by presenting it in the style of famous chef, Salt Bae. See SWNS story SWLEbae. A northern chef created his own take on Salt Bae's menu with Lancashire-inspired dishes - only to be told by a jeweller they were worth just 5p. Gareth Mason, 33, covered his signature Whist Pies, mini meat pies popular in Lancashire, in edible 24-carat gold leaf to mock Nusret Gokce's 'ludicrous' menu. Also on the makeshift menu were gold-wrapped chips, bacon and gold sausage butties and a 24-carat carrot. But while the Turkish butcher-turned-steakmonger charges £850 for his steaks, Gareth's dishes were valued at just 5p by a local jewellery store. Gareth said:
Chef Gareth Mason from the Absolute Bar and Bistro, Bolton, who has spoofed Salt Bae with his golden pork pie. (SWNS)

Celebrity chef Salt Bae has taken a lot of flak from diners recently for charging £1,450 for a steak, and now people in the industry are mocking him.

A chef in Bolton has spoofed Bae’s signature ultra-expensive dish by covering pork pies in golden flakes – and charging just £12.

For a bit of culinary fun, Gareth Mason, 33, also produced gold-wrapped chips, bacon and sausage butties and a 24-carat carrot.

Chef Gareth Mason from the Absolute Bar and Bistro, Bolton, who took the challenge to see if everyday food could be improved by presenting it in the style of famous chef, Salt Bae. See SWNS story SWLEbae. A northern chef created his own take on Salt Bae's menu with Lancashire-inspired dishes - only to be told by a jeweller they were worth just 5p. Gareth Mason, 33, covered his signature Whist Pies, mini meat pies popular in Lancashire, in edible 24-carat gold leaf to mock Nusret Gokce's 'ludicrous' menu. Also on the makeshift menu were gold-wrapped chips, bacon and gold sausage butties and a 24-carat carrot. But while the Turkish butcher-turned-steakmonger charges £850 for his steaks, Gareth's dishes were valued at just 5p by a local jewellery store. Gareth said:
The golden pork pie created by chef Gareth Mason. (SWNS)
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 19: A general view of the exterior of the Nusr-Et steak restaurant on October 19, 2021 in London, England. Since it opened last month, the new steakhouse from Turkish chef Nusret Gökçe has drawn media attention for its pricey menu items, including a
Salt Bae's Nusr-Et steak restaurant in Knightsbridge, west London, which opened last month. (Getty Images)

Read more: Restaurant boss says Salt Bae a genius as he’s fully booked

Mason charges £12 for a pie and pickle platter at the Absolute Bar and Bistro in Westhoughton, Bolton, where he is head chef.

Turkish butcher turned chef and restaurateur Bae, real name Nusret Gökçe, rose to worldwide fame in 2017 when an Instagram video of him sprinkling salt on a steak went viral.

Turkish restaurateur Nusret Gokce, also known as 'Salt Bae', poses for photos at his restaurant 'Nusr-Et' at the Grand Bazaar after its reopening on June 1, 2020 in Istanbul. - Turkey reopened restaurants, cafes and Istanbul's iconic 15th century Grand Bazaar market on June 1 as the government further eased coronavirus restrictions. Many other facilities including parks, beaches, libraries and museums also reopened across the country, while millions of public sector employees returned to work. (Photo by Ozan KOSE / AFP) (Photo by OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images)
Turkish restaurateur Nusret Gökçe, also known as Salt Bae, has added gold flakes to his steaks. (AFP via Getty Images)

The 38-year-old owns luxury steakhouse chain Nusr-Et, which opened a branch in London last month to both rave reviews and guffaws.

Bae’s golden-covered steaks can cost more than £1,000, while a gold burger is priced at £100.

Reality TV star Gemma Collins spoke of her “utter shock” earlier this month after spending £1,450 on a 24-carat Golden Tomahawk steak at the restaurant in Knightsbridge, west London.

Watch: Gemma Collins says she spent £1,450 on golden steak at Salt Bae's restaurant

Model Danielle Lloyd treated herself to a £100 gold-wrapped burger, later admitting it was “really expensive” but worth it for “the experience”.

Read more: Salt Bae slammed as ‘Mickey Mouse’ by top chef

The restaurant also gained notoriety after an image of a £37,000 bill was shared on social media, although the majority of the receipt was comprised of expensive wine.

But while Bae’s steaks in London can fetch four figures, Mason’s dishes in Bolton were valued at just 5p by a local jewellery store.

Not that the father-of-two is complaining.

Read more: Why does no one want to work at Salt Bae steakhouse?

“It's more Morecambe Bay than Salt Bae,” said Mason.

“We've got the traditional Lancashire dishes covered in gold for a fraction of the price you'd pay at his restaurant.

“It just shows that wrapping food in gold is sheer stupidity.

Chef Gareth Mason from the Absolute Bar and Bistro, Bolton, who took the challenge to see if everyday food could be improved by presenting it in the style of famous chef, Salt Bae. See SWNS story SWLEbae. A northern chef created his own take on Salt Bae's menu with Lancashire-inspired dishes - only to be told by a jeweller they were worth just 5p. Gareth Mason, 33, covered his signature Whist Pies, mini meat pies popular in Lancashire, in edible 24-carat gold leaf to mock Nusret Gokce's 'ludicrous' menu. Also on the makeshift menu were gold-wrapped chips, bacon and gold sausage butties and a 24-carat carrot. But while the Turkish butcher-turned-steakmonger charges £850 for his steaks, Gareth's dishes were valued at just 5p by a local jewellery store. Gareth said:
Chef Gareth Mason tucks into some of his gold-covered fare. (SWNS)
Chef Gareth Mason from the Absolute Bar and Bistro, Bolton, who took the challenge to see if everyday food could be improved by presenting it in the style of famous chef, Salt Bae. See SWNS story SWLEbae. A northern chef created his own take on Salt Bae's menu with Lancashire-inspired dishes - only to be told by a jeweller they were worth just 5p. Gareth Mason, 33, covered his signature Whist Pies, mini meat pies popular in Lancashire, in edible 24-carat gold leaf to mock Nusret Gokce's 'ludicrous' menu. Also on the makeshift menu were gold-wrapped chips, bacon and gold sausage butties and a 24-carat carrot. But while the Turkish butcher-turned-steakmonger charges £850 for his steaks, Gareth's dishes were valued at just 5p by a local jewellery store. Gareth said:
The gold-covered sausage buttie served at the Absolute Bar and Bistro in Bolton. (SWNS)

“There's no price that can justify it. It adds nothing at all to the food, it tastes of nothing and it just dissolves on contact. It's just a gimmick for appearances.

“Getting a steak and wrapping it in gold doesn't make it worth £800.

“There has to be a barrier of stupidity.

“The joke is on the customer if they're willing to pay that.”

Watch: Couple get full Salt Bae experience at new London restaurant

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