Doner kebab 'inventor' Kadir Nurman dies

The man widely credited with creating the popular snack has died aged 80

Kadir Nurman, the man largely credited with inventing the doner kebab, has died in Berlin aged 80.

Nurman was born in Istanbul, Turkey before moving to Stuttgart, Germany at the age of 26.

He then moved to west Berlin, where he worked as a mechanic for a printing press.

In 1972, he started selling grilled meat accompanied by salad in a flatbread, having noticed the increasingly fast pace of life for residents in the city, according to the BBC.

The concept of eating meat off a skewer was not a new one, but putting it into bread allowed busy Berliners to purchase a meal that they could eat on the go.

He did not patent his invention and it was soon copied by fast food outlets across Europe.

There have been many other possible 'inventors' of the kebab, but Mr Nurman was recognised by the Association of Turkish Doner Manufacturers in 2011. He told German magazine Frankfurter Rundschau after being recognised for his contribution that he was unhappy with modern kebabs because “there are too many ingredients” in them.

However, he showed no bitterness despite having not made any money from doners, and said he was happy that millions of people now eat them.