CELEBRITY chef Salt Bae has admitted that the pong emanating from a creek next to his soon-to-be-open luxury housing and restaurant complex is a “big problem.”
Salt Bae’s dream Ibiza development is under threat and could leave millionaire buyers holding their noses.
The flamboyant chef’s new luxury flats start at a jaw-dropping £722,000 for a one-bed apartment, but Brits splashing the cash might have to keep the windows shut.
Locals say the smell coming from a nearby creek is so bad, it can make your eyes water.
During a site visit this week, even Salt Bae’s PR team looked shaken up by the stench.
The 42-year-old, famous for his viral salt-sprinkling pose, admitted: “It’s a big problem because it smells bad.”
His real name is Nusret Gokce but even his star power might not be enough to mask this stink.
The Turkish entrepreneur wants the complex, called N Residences Ibiza, open by the end of next year.
Described as a “home with soul” and a “jewel in front of the sea,” the site is next to the sa Llavanera stream.
This river is a notorious source of bad smells in Ibiza.
Residents have complained for years that raw sewage often ends up in the creek.
They say the pong gets even worse when it rains heavily.
Some blame an ageing sewage treatment plant nearby for discharging foul water into the stream.
In July, furious locals said the stench was “unbearable” and that swarms of mosquitos had arrived.
One ice cream shop worker said: “There are several customers who often come here who had to leave because they couldn’t stay there.
“Fortunately, we have the windows and we can close them.”
Officials later claimed the problem was caused by a pumping system failure.
A government spokesman insisted the issue had been resolved after “less than 20 minutes of overflow.”
Locals weren’t convinced and neither was Salt Bae.
He told local paper Periodico de Ibiza: “It’s a big problem because it smells bad.”
He added: “It’s also a problem for Ibiza, not just for us. We’re making a very significant investment. Ibiza is an international brand.”
His PR man, Carlos Mortorell, said the problem affects more than just Salt Bae’s site.
“The Ibiza Gran Hotel has been fighting this for years,” he said.
“It charges its customers a fortune in the summer, and it turns out they can’t even open the windows because of the smell.”
Mortorell called his boss “a very generous and kind man who now has to fight against these disgusting smells.”
The complex will include 18 one-bed apartments, 27 two-beds, and six penthouses.
Four restaurants are also planned – including Salt Bae’s first Nusr-Et steakhouse in Spain – plus a large pool and gym.
The official website gushes that the 51 residences are “designed to experience Ibiza from within, with spaces that breath openness, simplicity, and light.”
It promises living spaces that blend “contemporary design with Mediterranean warmth.”
The priciest penthouses will cost over €3.5 million (£3m) and come with private terraces facing both sea and mountains.
Online, Salt Bae has called the project “the most important of my life” and told fans: “I love you Ibiza. I love you Spain.”
But this isn’t the only part of his empire experiencing difficulties.
His UK restaurant chain suffered a £5.4 million loss just months after cutting prices.
In America, his company shut sites in Boston, Dallas, Las Vegas and Beverly Hills.
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He also made the headlines in 2022 when he successfully made his way on onto the pitch at football World Cup Final in Qatar.
It was later reported that he had been banned from attending a sporting event in the US due to his behaviour.