Noma chef Rene Redzepi issues public apology amid abuse allegations from former staff
René Redzepi, the founder, head chef, and co-owner of world-renowned Copenhagen restaurant Noma, has responded to physical and mental abuse allegations from his former staff with a public apology.
On March 7, The New York Times published a story that cited former employees' allegations against Redzepi. According to the article, dozens of former staff said violent punishments, including punching and pushing, were normal in the Noma kitchens, and Redzepi was never fully held accountable for handing these out.
A day after the article was published, Redzepi sent a statement to The Times, which he also posted on his Instagram.
"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," the head chef wrote.
"To those who have suffered under my leadership, my bad judgment, or my anger, I am deeply sorry and I have worked to change," Redzepi added.
He recalled being a young, amateur chef working in kitchens "where shouting, humiliation, and fear" were customary. Redzepi wrote he promised himself he would never become such a leader. But as pressure grew after Noma opened, he found himself "becoming the kind of chef I had once promised myself I would never be."
Redzepi enumerated the steps he has taken to address his behavior, including going to therapy, finding better ways to manage his anger, and letting someone else lead the restaurant's day-to-day service.
"I cannot change who I was then. But I take responsibility for it and will keep doing the work to be better," Redzepi wrote.
On its official social media pages, Noma also addressed the issue with a statement posted Sunday.
"We're aware of the stories being circulated online and want to be clear: These claims do not reflect the workplace Noma is today," it read.
According to its post, Noma has now improved the process to address concerns, including running an independent audit to keep the workplace safe, implementing improved hours and time off, paying its interns, expanding benefits, having leadership training, and hiring a dedicated HR team.
Per The Times article, interns at Noma were not paid, and its human resources department was just one woman: Redzepi's mother-in-law.
One former Noma employee told The Times that Redzepi had the habit of punishing all employees, including interns who were not even inside the kitchen, for one person's mistake.
"Going to work felt like going to war. You had to force yourself to be strong, to show no fear," shared Alessia with The Times, declining to give her full name for fear of retaliation.
The former head of Noma's fermentation lab, Jason Ignacio White, was also mentioned in The Times article, having posted on Instagram on Feb. 8 further allegations against Redzepi.
"Noma is not a story of innovation. It is a story of a maniac that would breed culture of fear, abuse & exploitation. His damage to young chefs & trusted team members created a generation of broken dreams and future abusers that spread globally," White wrote.
Three-Michelin-starred Noma opened in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2003 and quickly became known across the world for its innovative fermentation techniques, foraging expertise, and innovative approach to Nordic cuisine.
In 2024, the restaurant closed its doors to regular dining and has since shifted to becoming a full-time food laboratory for Noma Projects. In line with this, Noma has been doing pop-ups in numerous countries, including Australia, Japan, Mexico, and the US.
It is set to open its 16-week Los Angeles residency on March 11 and will run until June 16. Despite the $1,500 per head price tag, Redzepi said the entire run was sold out in 60 seconds, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
