Fabian Carstairs

René Redzepi, the chef behind Noma, will have plenty to discuss with his therapist. A report in the New York Times, citing 35 former employees, described a pattern of bullying, humiliation and occasional violence in his kitchen. The chef has since resigned from day-to-day leadership of the restaurant and seen sponsors withdraw from his $1,500-a-night Los Angeles pop-up. Redzepi’s temperament was well known by those around him, and until now mostly tolerated. Juniors (often unpaid) put up with it because working in his kitchen was a golden ticket for their careers. This unfortunately is a common sentiment across the fine dining industry – that good experience under a prestigious chef is worth any amount of exhausting work, poor treatment and toxic environment.

There would have been some long and pale faces recently at the excellent Sportsman pub in Seasalter after Canterbury City Council gave it a damning two-star hygiene rating. This much-loved Michelin star pub recently wowed some friends of mine with skate wings and caviar-rimmed oysters. It’s hard to square their delicious meal with the descriptions of mouldy surfaces in the refrigerators, stained food storage containers, and chefs wearing leather bracelets while cooking.  I’ve never visited the restaurant myself, but it’s still firmly on my bucket list. Probably even more so now that it’ll likely be easier to get a booking. I spent most of my twenties cooking in restaurants like these, and now, mercifully, I spend as much time as possible eating in them instead.