Chef René Redzepi has announced on Instagram that he’s stepping away from Noma, the lauded Copenhagen restaurant, after allegations of abuse surfaced.
He wrote on Instagram stories “an apology is not enough; I take responsibility for my own actions.” Redzepi continued “The Noma team today is the strongest and most inspiring it has ever been. We’ve been open for 23 years, and I’m incredibly proud of our people, our creativity, and the direction Noma is heading. This team will carry forward together into our L.A. residency, which will be a powerful moment for them to show what they’ve been working toward and to welcome guests to something truly special. … Noma has always been bigger than any one person. And this next step honors that belief.”
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Apart from ‘stepping away’ from Noma, he also said he was resigning from MAD, the community-building nonprofit founded by him. It remains unclear whether Redzepi will continue to be a owner of Noma.
Here’s who could replace René Redzepi.
Who could replace René Redzepi?
Redzepi has expressed great confidence in the Noma team, so there is a likelihood the famous restaurant will turn inwards to look for the replacement.
Pablo Soto is Noma Head Chef and could be in line to replace Redzepi. He’s been at Noma for over eight years.
CEO and co-owner Peter Kreiner might also be expected to step up, especially when it comes to the administrative side of things.
Lau Richter and James Spreadbury, the Service Director and Restaurant Manager respectively, were made partners in the business recently and could also be stepping up to lead Noma as Redzepi takes a step back.
Lena Hennessy, the Chief Operating Officer, might also see her responsibilities increase. She’s not only COO of Noma but also Non Executive Director of MAD and served as Chief Executive Officer of Noma Projects.
Redzepi’s decision to ‘step away’ comes after the abuse allegations, which were accompanied by protests outside the gates of Noma’s pop-up in Silver Lake, Los Angeles. Anonymously submitted allegations of physical and verbal abuse had started to appear on Instagram last month, when a Noma worker used their platform to post the same. Then, New York Times came out with a report on Saturday which detailed accounts of abuse by Redzepi between 2009 and 2017, which included punching, stabbing, intimidation, and threats of retaliation.
Key sponsors of the LA event had begun to pull out as outrage over the report grew.