René Redzepi resigns from Noma after allegations of staff abuse

René Redzepi, the head chef and co‑founder of Noma, has resigned from the Copenhagen restaurant after allegations he physically abused staff. He faced protests in Los Angeles ahead of a four‑month pop‑up that launched this week; his resignation on Wednesday followed a New York Times article that detailed physical and psychological abuse, including claims that he "punched employees in the face, jabbed them with kitchen implements and slammed them against walls".

In an Instagram story Redzepi wrote: "I’ve decided to step away and allow our extraordinary leaders to now guide the restaurant into its next chapter." He said recent weeks had "brought attention and important conversations about our restaurant, industry and my past leadership," noted that Noma had taken steps to transform its culture, and added: "An apology is not enough; I take responsibility for my own actions." He also announced he was resigning from the board of Mad and posted a video apologising to staff.

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