The head chef at the world’s most prestigious restaurant has issued a grovelling apology after dozens of former employees accused him of physical, verbal and psychological abuse — just days before the opening of his highly anticipated $1,500-per-person pop-up in Los Angeles.
René Redzepi, who founded Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark, became a culinary superstar after opening his eatery in 2003. It was ranked best in the world by Restaurant magazine a record five times between 2010 and 2021, and was awarded three Michelin stars.
While whispers of bullying and bad behavior have long threatened to overshadow his glittering career, the star chef has previously denied physically abusing staff, instead claiming he may have“bumped” into them.
But in a bombshell investigation published byThe New York Timeson Saturday, 35 former employees say they witnessed Redzepi punch workers in the face, jab them with kitchen implements and slam them against walls.
“Going to work felt like going to war,” one ex-employee told The Times. “You had to force yourself to be strong, to show no fear.”
Redzepi responded to the claims in a statement, saying: “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. To those who have suffered under my leadership, my bad judgment, or my anger, I am deeply sorry and I have worked to change.”
After opening Noma, Redzepi won instant accolades for his “New Nordic” cuisine, with a focus on hyper-local foraged foods, including wild berries and forest mushrooms.
The restaurant once served reindeer brain custard covered in bee pollen, which garnered international headlines and made the restaurant a bucket-list destination for the wealthiest and most powerful people on the planet.
But in the back kitchen, chefs say they were terrified and traumatized by Redzepi, who also allegedly engaged in body shaming and public ridicule.
One female chef told The Times that Redzepi punched her in the ribs so hard that she fell against a metal counter, cutting her hip on its corner. The incident left her bleeding and crying on the floor.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
