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COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — René Redzepi, the founder and celebrity chef at the iconic Danish restaurant Noma that won three Michelin stars and other international
accolades for its innovative “New Nordic” cuisine, has stepped down following allegations of abuse and assault at the Copenhagen landmark. Redzepi has faced years of criticism regarding the treatment of his staff and the use of unpaid interns at the renowned restaurant, which has topped the World’s 50 Best Restaurants List five times. Recently, this criticism intensified on social media, culminating in a detailed article in The New York Times that featured accounts of abuse from former employees just days before the opening of a Noma pop-up in Los Angeles.
“I have worked to be a better leader and Noma has taken big steps to transform the culture over many years,” he stated in the post's caption. “I recognize these changes do not repair the past. An apology is not enough; I take responsibility for my own actions.”
Jason Ignacio White, a former head of Noma’s fermentation lab, compiled anonymous testimonies of alleged abuse at the restaurant and shared them on his Instagram page. The testimonies, which include instances of verbal and physical abuse by Redzepi and his management team, gained significant attention online.
One anonymous former employee recounted, “I got punched in the face during service there.” Another shared, “Noma destroyed my passion for the industry. I struggled with intense anxiety, bad enough to give me panic attacks in the middle of the night. The trauma, abuse, and idea that nothing would ever change all led me to walk away from the career.”
Redzepi has publicly acknowledged his aggressive behavior over the past decade. In response to the New York Times article, which included interviews with 35 former employees who worked at Noma between 2009 and 2017, he issued an apology on Instagram, reiterating his commitment to change.
In 2016, Redzepi received knighthood in Denmark's Order of Dannebrog from then-Queen Margrethe II. However, both Noma and Redzepi, along with the Danish royal family's press department, did not respond immediately to requests for comment on Thursday.
Kristoffer Dahy Ernst, editor-in-chief of Danish food magazine Gastro, suggested that Redzepi's resignation was necessary for the restaurant's survival. “René Redzepi is the face of Noma; he is Noma,” Dahy Ernst remarked. “If you want to solve the huge problem that Noma has right now, you have to remove the source of the problem.”
Dahy Ernst expressed uncertainty about Noma's future without its visionary founder, who has significantly influenced gastro-tourism in Scandinavia since the restaurant's opening in 2003. Noma's focus on hospitality, impeccable execution, and local foraging has established Copenhagen as a premier dining destination.
Nick Curtin, the American executive chef and owner of Copenhagen's Michelin-starred Alouette restaurant, criticized the culinary industry for granting excessive power to a single individual. “It’s long overdue that we get rid of the notion that sacrifice, humiliation, pain, and violence are the building blocks for greatness,” he stated.
Local resident Nicklas Keng expressed skepticism about an industry-wide reckoning but remained hopeful that Noma's talented alumni would keep Copenhagen's culinary scene vibrant, even if the restaurant's reputation wanes.
For American tourist Annie Nguyen, Noma had been a must-visit destination, but recent news has altered her perspective. “I personally would not want to continue dining there with that kind of culture,” she commented. “I feel it does kind of leave a bad taste.”
The restaurant was closed as scheduled on Thursday for the Los Angeles pop-up, but the adjacent Noma café continued regular operations, with visitors stopping by for coffee and specialty sauces.
Dazio reported from Berlin.
