The three-star restaurant in Copenhagen has been voted the best restaurant in the world several times. His star chef Rene Redzepi established his own line with his concept – away from imported luxury items such as foie gras (foie gras) towards regional products such as spruce tips and reindeer hearts – and thus gave Scandinavian cuisine a new status.
At the end of 2024, Redzepi wants to close his restaurant for regular operations after 20 years, he told the “New York Times” (“NYT”). A food lab to produce creative dishes and products for e-commerce company Noma Projects will follow, and the occasional pop-up will cook up.
“Completely rethink the industry”
The change came when he had time to think about the business model of top gastronomy during the pandemic-related closures. The current form of top-class gastronomy is not sustainable: “Financially and emotionally, as an employer and as a person, it just doesn’t work.” With the hard working hours, it is difficult to fairly pay almost 100 employees and high standards at prices that are still off the market be carried: “We have to completely rethink the industry.”
It is true that working in the kitchen of well-known star chefs such as Noma is considered a ticket to the gastronomic top class. But there is increasing dissatisfaction with the working conditions – even in noma. Only at the end of last year did Redzepi start paying its interns, who do a large part of the basic work. “Everything that is luxurious is built on someone’s back; someone has to pay for it,” Finnish chef Kim Mikkola told NYT. Mikkola worked as a chef at Noma for a few years.
Even the world-famous Catalan restaurant El Bulli, which cooked its way to the top of the world with Ferran Adria and his molecular cuisine, made losses with its gastro activities. Adria made up for this by marketing the El Bulli brand and selling books and DVDs. Nevertheless, the El Bulli closed in 2011. In addition to the Italian star chef Massimo Bottura, Redzepi was also invited to the final banquet.
High effort, little profit
In France, starred restaurants recently had to close because the profits were no longer sufficient. The 27-year-old Adrien Soro, who has already been awarded one star, closed his Domaine de la Meynardie after four years of intensive work: “If I add up everything I paid myself, everything absolutely, everything since opening, I have 352 euros paid a month,” he told France 3.
David Kinch also closed his three-star restaurant Manresa in California, which focuses on seasonal and local products, at the end of last year. He wants to keep his other more down-to-earth restaurants: “Upmarket gastronomy is at a crossroads, and major changes have to take place.” Working at Manresa was characterized by a high level of loyalty among the employees, a former chef recalled his time positively via Instagram at Kinch: “They weren’t just colleagues. We were family right away.”
criticism of working conditions
However, some examples that have become public show a different reality of everyday work in top gastronomy. In Denmark, for example, the former waitress Lisa Lind Dunbar took a stand against exploitation in upscale gastronomy, with a focus on the almost 40 starred restaurants in Denmark.
Some cases of toxic working conditions also came to the public in the United States. Daniel Humm, for example, had to put up with criticism of the working conditions for his well-known Eleven Madison Square in New York. Former employees spoke to Business Insider about poor pay, unpaid overtime and chaos.
Inspiration for cooking horror film
For several years, Willows Inn on an island north of Seattle has faced lawsuits and allegations of wage theft, sexual harassment and racism, according to the Bon Appetit food platform. The restaurant served as inspiration for the cooking horror film The Menu.
Willows Inn Executive Chef Blaine Wetzel was a Noma graduate. He, too, scored well with gastro critics, especially in the early days, with a local menu, in the spirit of Redzepi. The restaurant finally closed a few weeks ago.
