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| SoTW - Off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush, between you and me... |
Clear and Present Danger
... From Punching, attack with kitchen tools, and public humiliation: 35 former Noma staff describe ‘war’ zone kitchen and ‘physical abuse’ by world celebrity chef René Redzepi. Noma, a three-Michelin-star restaurant in Copenhagen, ranked the Best Restaurant in the World five times ...
... Common 'slapping in the face and with kitchen utensils on the body, hard pushes against walls, psychological terror with intimidating behavior, body shaming, public ridicule and threats of being blacklisted in restaurants around the world.' ...
... It reminds me of the movie Tequila Sunrise (1988), Hal Maguire threatens to deport the chef at Jo Ann Vallenari’s restaurant after arresting him for drunk driving and discovering he is an illegal immigrant ...
... Can we deport René Redzepi as an Danish/Albanian Muslim immigrant or is he protected by the 'Cabal' who eats at Noma, like the judge, in Tequila Sunrise, loses his italian chefs famous pasta? ...
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Published on March 9, 2026 by Verdensalt
The working culture within parts of the restaurant industry often appears to be characterised by an unnecessarily harsh tone and a high level of aggression in everyday interactions. From my perspective, it is difficult to identify other sectors where the intensity of behaviour and internal pressure can be so disproportionate to the actual nature and societal importance of the work being performed.
My sister is employed as a Head Chef at one of the world’s leading companies within the canteen and catering sector. In this role, she reports to a number of senior managers above her in the organisational structure that treat her as "dirt".
In her position, she is responsible for leading a team consisting primarily of Michelin-trained chefs and many other kitchen staff . When members of her team report sick, she is required to assume their responsibilities and ensure that all operational tasks are completed even if she's a paper pusher. At the same time, she has not been permitted to bring in substitute staff to cover the absent employees.
This has on several occasions resulted in significantly extended working hours, typically in the range of 10–12 hours per working day at the workplace in Novo Nordisk, as her client, with lower salary than her male equals (of course). If she raises concerns or attempts to escalate the matter to a higher level of management, she is typically instructed to follow the established leadership hierarchy and address the issue through her immediate superior.
However, when she brings these concerns to her male direct manager, her experience has been that the issues are not addressed adequately. Her leader basically lie, for him to shine and for her, to be the problem. As a result, the challenges she experiences in the working environment remain unresolved and continue over extended periods of time.
She is currently experiencing significant health-related symptoms at work, including chronic stress, mental exhaustion and persistent headaches. These conditions are commonly associated with prolonged workplace pressure and may indicate the development of serious work-related stress or burnout.
In my view, this situation reflects a broader pattern that I have also encountered previously in other sectors, including the IT industry, (banking) where employee well-being was not adequately addressed and organisational priorities appeared to place greater emphasis on performance outcomes and stakeholder interests than on the health and sustainability of the workforce... |
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