Celebrity chef René Redzepi, founder of iconic Danish restaurant Noma that won three Michelin stars and several other international recognitions for its New Nordic cuisine, announced his resignation in the wake of allegations of abuse and assault at the Copenhagen landmark. “I have worked to be a better leader and Noma has taken big steps to transform the culture over many years,” he wrote in the post’s caption Thursday. “I recognize these changes do not repair the past. An apology is not enough; I take responsibility for my own actions.”
Physical assault, public shaming, abuse
Allegations against Redzepi are not new, but this time they did not go unnoticed. The New York Times reported a detailed account of employees’ harrowing experience working under the world-famous chef — just days before a Noma pop-up was scheduled to be launched in Los Angeles. Now, sponsors have pulled their funding from this LA project and protests against Redzepui were held. Those who worked under him recounted that going to work felt like going to war. The NYT report highlighted one 2014 incident when Redzepi ordered the entire kitchen staff to follow him outside the restaurant when a busy dinner time was going on. He was shoving a sous chef, a young man, who had put on a genre of music that the boss did not like. He punched the employee in the ribs as 40 cooks looked on — as this was a ritual, with a new target every time. Redzepi was knighted by the Queen of Denmark. In 2013, Anthony Bourdain called him “without a doubt, the most influential, provocative, and important chef in the world.”A woman said she was punched by Redzepi when he saw her using a phone which was strictly prohibited during service. She fell against a metal counter and cut her hip. She said nobody said a word after that attack and she had to finish her shift.
