Noma chef René Redzepi acknowledges abuse allegations spanning years at acclaimed Copenhagen restaurant
The New York Times reported accounts from 35 former employees describing physical violence, psychological abuse, and public humiliation between 2009 and 2017.
March 8, 2026
René Redzepi, founder of Noma in Copenhagen, has acknowledged abuse allegations made by former staff members, responding to accounts that emerged last month and detailed in a recent New York Times article.
The Times report collected testimonies from 35 former employees describing incidents of psychological abuse, intimidation, body shaming, and public humiliation, along with episodes of physical violence occurring between 2009 and 2017.
One incident from February 2014 illustrates the allegations. During a busy dinner service, Redzepi ordered the entire kitchen staff to follow him outside into the cold. He pushed ahead a young sous-chef who had played techno music—a genre Redzepi disliked—in the production kitchen, an area away from the dining room where unpaid interns worked up to 16 hours daily performing tasks such as harvesting herbs and cleaning pine cones used in the restaurant's Nordic cuisine dishes.
Outside, approximately 40 kitchen professionals formed a circle around the two men, a scene described as routine by two chefs present. Redzepi mocked the sous-chef repeatedly before escalating the confrontation, striking him in the ribs and shouting that no one would return inside until the chef publicly stated he enjoyed performing oral sex on DJs, according to accounts from witnesses.
One chef employed at the restaurant described the work environment, saying "going to work was like going to war."
In a social media post, Redzepi apologized to those affected by his conduct. "I apologize to those who suffered. I could not handle the pressure. Today I am learning to manage my anger," he wrote, according to reports.
Noma representatives stated that the allegations reflect the restaurant's past and do not represent its current situation. The organization has implemented several systems in response, including new human resources procedures, payment for interns, and improvements to working hours and leave policies.