Noma chef René Redzepi responds to abuse allegations

René Redzepi, the co-founder of Noma, has issued an apology following allegations of verbal and physical abuse at his restaurant.

Over the weekend, the New York Times reported its interviews with 35 former employees at the former three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Copenhagen appeared to “trace a pattern of physical punishment Mr. Redzepi inflicted on his staff”.

It comes after Jason Ignacio White, a former head at Noma’s fermentation lab, started posting on social media hat he had witnessed physical and psychological abuse during his three years at the restaurant, criticising the “culture of fear, abuse and exploitation”.

In response to the news, Redzepi said in an Instagram post: “Although I don’t recognise all details in these stories, I can see enough of my past behaviour 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 judgement, or my anger, I am deeply sorry and I have worked to change.”

He went on to explain when he first started cooking, “shouting, humiliation, and fear were simply part of the culture”.

Redzepi added: “I remember… thinking that if I ever had my own kitchen one day, I would never lead like that. But after we opened Noma and the pressure began to grow, I found myself becoming the kind of chef I had once promised myself I would never be… I was not able to handle the pressure, small mistakes could feel enormous to me, and I reacted in ways that I regret deeply today.”

The chef stressed his organisation is “very different from the one we started with” and that he is “grateful for our team”.

“I cannot change who I was then. But I take responsibility for it and will keep doing the work to be better,” he concluded.  

Redzepi opened Noma in 2003 and closed the restaurant in 2024 to relaunch it as a “giant lab” test kitchen in 2025, operating via international pop-ups and seasonal runs instead of a conventional restaurant format.

Noma has been contacted for comment.