The dark side of perfection

René Redzepi is arguably the most influential chef of the 21st century. His pioneering work in fine dining highlighted local foods and environmental sustainability through exquisitely plated, intricate food. While Redzepi has been recognized for his achievements in many ways such as by having his restaurant, Noma, chosen as the number one restaurant in the world several years in a row, former staff members have come forward with tales of physical and psychological abuse.

The angry head chef who yelled at his underlings was seen, for a very long time, as the norm in professional kitchens. Anthony Bourdain’s recounting of behind-the-scenes action in Kitchen Confidential brought this to the dining public’s attention in 2000, and Gordon Ramsay exemplified the modern version of this archetype. His expletive-laced tirades drew audiences by the million to programs like Hells Kitchen and Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. This depiction continues today in shows like The Bear, but in the past several years there has been a shift in attitudes and chefs are moving away from such abusive tactics.

Former interns and chefs who worked for Redzepi chronicle stories of yelling and hitting when a worker did something to displease the volatile chef. If you played music he didn’t like or plated a dish that wasn’t up to the chef’s exacting standards, Redzepi might lash out at one person or the whole crew. Workers say when he wanted to punish someone when there were guests in the dining room, he would crouch under a table and poke them under the work table with his fingers or kitchen tools. These weren’t isolated incidents – about 30 former staff members said that being hit by Redzepi and other senior chefs was commonplace.

Redzepi acknowledges that he that he had anger issues. He told The New York Times in a statement that “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.”

This apology isn’t enough, say many former Noma employees. They feel that the chef has not acknowledged the extent of his violent, abusive behavior that persisted for more than a decade. Even after Redzepi stepped away from primary oversight of the restaurant, workers say the abuse continued through senior staff who mirrored the chef’s past behavior.

The workers are speaking out now, they say, because even though the Copenhagen restaurant is closed, Redzepi continues to receive acclaim through his pricey pop-ups that crisscross the globe, most recently landing in Los Angeles. Former employees and interns are offended that Redzepi can come to town and attract diners who will pay $1,500 USD for a single meal while local restaurants struggle just to keep the doors open. Said Marco Cerrutti, an LA chef who worked at Noma a decade ago, “What is René modeling for the industry now?” he said. “Feeding rich people and exploiting young aspirational chefs.”