The head chef and co-founder of Noma, one of the highest-rated eating places on the earth and recipient of three Michelin stars, has resigned following allegations that he bodily and psychologically abused employees.
René Redzepi introduced on social media Wednesday that he was stepping down from main the Copenhagen restaurant.
It comes after a March 7 report by The New York Times that detailed alleged abuses by Redzepi between 2009 and 2017.
According to the report, which spoke to 35 former members of employees, Redzepi “punched employees in the face, jabbed them with kitchen implements and slammed them against walls.”
Redzepi stated within the Instagram assertion: “The recent weeks have brought attention and important conversations about our restaurant, industry, and my past leadership.”
“I have worked to be a better leader and Noma has taken big steps to transform the culture over many years,” Redzepi continued. “I recognise these changes do not repair the past. An apology is not enough; I take full responsibility for my own actions.”
“After more than two decades of building and leading this restaurant, I’ve decided to step away and allow our extraordinary leaders to now guide the restaurant into its next chapter,” the assertion stated.
Redzepi stated he has additionally resigned from the board of MAD, a non-profit he based in 2011 to assist burgeoning cooks.
NCS has contacted Redzepi and Noma for remark.
His resignation got here as a brand new pop-up by Noma opened in Los Angeles Wednesday. The meal contains a tasting menu that prices $1,500 per particular person. Reservations for the 16-week residency reportedly offered out in lower than three minutes.
Protesters from the wage advocacy group One Fair Wage gathered outdoors the Paramour Estate, the place the pop-up restaurant is being held, on Wednesday. They have been led by Jason Ignacio White, the previous head of Noma’s fermentation lab, who has been collating allegations of abuse by Redzepi on his Instagram and web site.
In a separate Instagram assertion posted on the weekend, Redzepi stated: “I want to address past stories around my leadership in the kitchen that have resurfaced recently. Although I don’t recognize all details in these stories, I can see enough of my past behavior reflected in them to understand that my actions were harmful to people who worked with me.”
He apologized in that assertion “to those who have suffered under my leadership,” including that he has “worked to change.”
In response to experiences circulating on the weekend concerning the allegations, Noma posted on its Instagram: “Although the stories appear to date back many years, we take them seriously and are looking into them carefully. Since that time, we have improved the process to address concerns.”
Redzepi wrote about his conduct in a 2015 essay, saying, “I’ve been a bully for a large part of my career. I’ve yelled and pushed people.” In the essay, he stated that he had tried to reform his conduct and alter the surroundings within the kitchen.
In a 2022 interview with The Times of London, he stated that he had “never hit anyone,” however had “probably bumped into people.”
Noma was based in 2003 by Redzepi and Claus Meyer within the Danish capital and shortly gained worldwide consideration for championing New Nordic delicacies, counting on native and foraged components.
It was ranked the very best restaurant on the earth 5 occasions by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants checklist and held three Michelin stars earlier than it stopped service in 2024. Noma is now a “giant lab” devoted to meals innovation, the restaurant stated in a press release on the time.