René Redzepi, chef and founder of the world-famous Danish three-star restaurant Noma, is stepping down. In the best interests of the team, he is taking a step back, the top chef announced early March in a personal post on Instagram. His position has become untenable following the storm of criticism – triggered by reports of physical and mental abuse and exploitation in his kitchen – that has engulfed him over the past month.
Redzepi’s (48) position had become untenable in a short period of time. The decision comes after a month marked by new allegations of misconduct, protests outside his new pop-up in Los Angeles, and the threat of lawsuits over fair wages. The current storm of criticism was fueled by Noma’s former fermentation lab chef, Jason Ignacio White. The withdrawal of several major sponsors, including American Express and Blackbird, undoubtedly also played a role in Redzepi’s decision.
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Momentum reversed
On February 19, we already covered the issue in detail in this article (in Dutch). In just one month, the momentum surrounding Redzepi has completely shifted. Last weekend, The New York Times published an in-depth analysis containing detailed allegations of physical and mental abuse in the kitchen between 2009 and 2017. The newspaper spoke with 35 current and former employees and recorded their anonymous testimonies. The allegations are serious: ranging from hitting and physical intimidation to public humiliation and threats of career damage.
Taking responsibility
It has, in fact, been known for some time that Redzepi has behaved inappropriately as a leader in the past. He has previously reflected on his own behavior and publicly apologized for it, but has now concluded that this is not enough. He says the following about this:
“I have strived to be a better leader, and Noma has made great strides over the years to transform its culture. I realize that these changes do not make up for the past. An apology is not enough; I take responsibility for my own actions.”
“After more than twenty years of building and leading this restaurant, I have decided to step back and let our extraordinary leaders take the helm in the restaurant’s next chapter. I have also stepped down from the board of MAD, the nonprofit organization I founded in 2011.”
It is not yet clear whether Redzepi will remain the owner of Noma. The pop-up in Los Angeles opened as planned on Wednesday and will be run by the local team.
A small-scale protest with a big impact
While “whistleblower” White is being discredited online in numerous ways, he remains undeterred by anything or anyone for now. At the opening of the pop-up in Los Angeles on Wednesday, he organized a small-scale protest near the pop-up location. White is organizing the protest in collaboration with the nonprofit organization One Fair Wage, which advocates for workers’ financial rights.
At the start of the protest, White read an open letter addressed directly to Redzepi, containing a list of demands co-signed by One Fair Wage. In the letter, he called on Redzepi to take responsibility and make amends. The signatories of the letter gave Redzepi an ultimatum to respond within 24 hours and agree to a meeting to discuss the demands. If Redzepi failed to respond, the organizers would “escalate” the protest, contact the media, and prepare legal action.
Sponsors pull out
The New York Times article appears to have been the tipping point. On Monday – the day after the controversial article was published – a spokesperson had stated that the 16-week pop-up would proceed as planned. On Tuesday, however, it was announced that several prominent sponsors of the event –including American Express and Blackbird – were withdrawing their support and offering refunds to customers.
In a statement to Eater Los Angeles, Ben Leventhal, CEO of Blackbird, said: “René himself has admitted that his past behavior was unacceptable and appalling. We cannot rely on a difference in the spirit of the times or claims of rehabilitation when these kinds of issues come to light again. Regardless of the context, this is highly problematic behavior.”
According to the LA Times, his company purchased $100,000 worth of tickets for the LA pop-up. Leventhal announced that Blackbird will refund customers upon request and donate the proceeds from ticket sales to advocacy groups that represent the interests of industry professionals. American Express customers can also receive a refund for tickets they have purchased.
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Attempt at damage control exacerbates crisis
Whether it would have made a difference in the end is debatable, but the company’s clumsy attempts at damage control have sparked an unprecedented PR crisis in recent weeks. Since White began posting new accounts of misconduct on his Instagram account @microbes_vibes in early February, Noma’s response has been slow and inadequate.
At first, Redzepi and the PR team remained silent. Following the rapidly growing uproar on social media, employees received strict instructions not to respond online and not to engage with requests from journalists. In the weeks that followed, the PR department made frantic attempts to sweep criticism under the rug. Critical comments on posts were deleted, which led to widespread ridicule and fierce condemnation among followers. It seemed that a response was only issued once ignoring the issue was no longer an option. Similarly, Redzepi’s announced departure came only when the company began to face commercial and legal consequences.
Bigger than Noma
Following previous waves of criticism regarding Redzepi’s misconduct and exploitation of staff – in 2008, 2015, and most recently in 2022 – the storm always blew over relatively quickly, causing minimal damage. Apologies were made, improvements promised, and steps taken. But this time, the criticism has reached hurricane force, and the damage to the Noma institution and Redzepi personally appears to be significant. Now that major financial backers are also drawing their conclusions and withdrawing from collaborations with Noma, Redzepi is no longer tenable as a leader.
Meanwhile, White is determined to continue his crusade for a “just industry.” Noma may be the first, but it certainly won’t be the last. He wants to use the momentum and promises to launch a movement that holds chefs worldwide accountable for their destructive behavior. “This is just the beginning.”
On a dedicated website, victims and witnesses can submit testimonies – anonymously if they wish.
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