Ask a chef
Is star cuisine in crisis, Tim Raue?
Tim Raue on star cuisine
© Nils Hasenau
Super chef René Redzepi recently announced the closure of his Noma restaurant in Copenhagen, which has been voted the best in the world several times. Star cuisine is no longer bearable for him. We asked star chef Tim Raue if he would sign it that way.
The announcement was like an earthquake: Super chef René Redzepi recently told the New York Times that Noma, as it is now, has become obsolete, announcing the end of an era. Noma, three Michelin stars and repeatedly voted the best restaurant in the world, will close. Redzepi had reached a point where it couldn’t go any further. He said: The star kitchen was no longer bearable for him. Neither financially nor emotionally, as an employer and as a person. These conditions are not new in the industry, but they have regained momentum.
Also because Redzepi itself was criticized for not paying interns for their work. In Denmark last year, a Dane unleashed an avalanche when she opened up about abuse and exploitation in the Danish catering industry. Redzepi himself was also caught in the crossfire. For him it is clear today: “We have to rethink the entire industry.”
Is star cuisine in crisis? With this question he star addressed to star chef Tim Raue, who is one of the 50 best restaurants in the world with his restaurant “Tim Raue”:
Herr Raue, be honest: you are a star chef. Do you also think that the entire industry needs to be rethought?
I find it exciting that someone who claims that fine dining needs to be rethought, who has definitely benefited from it. Redzepi has also gratefully accepted marketing money – not without good reason, however, because he has developed something that has attracted attention worldwide. Now it is of course interesting to see that it is very, very bright in the front and then obviously rather dark in the back. It is, of course, up to Mr Redzepi to make the decision. But he is in no way entitled to punish the entire industry worldwide for this. In my opinion, there are enough restaurateurs who run an economically sound company and pay their employees fairly. This is also always evident when the employees stay in a company for a correspondingly long time.
How do you handle the payment of interns. Are they paid fairly in your starred restaurant?
In Germany it has been forbidden for years to hire interns without pay. We have always followed the rules in the “Tim Raue” restaurant, which is why we have never questioned it. I myself can only remember very well how important every month’s salary was to me as a young trainee. That’s why it would never have occurred to me to let someone work for us for free. I find that really rude.