René Redzepi talks about ‘Omnivore’ on Apple TV+

Chef René Redzepi in the food docuseries ‘Omnivore.’ Photo Courtesy of Apple TV+.

Danish chef René Redzepi chatted about co-creating and narrating the new food docuseries “Omnivore,” which premieres on Friday, July 19, on Apple TV+.

This new series is an exploration of the people, places, and ingredients that shape us all.

American track and field running legend Steve Prefontaine once said: “To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift.” René Redzepi embodies this wise quote.

Inspiration for ‘Omnivore’

On the inspiration for “Omnivore,” he shared, “The idea for ‘Omnivore’ started more than 10 years ago. Noma was really becoming well-known, and I was offered to do TV.”

“There was nothing that interested me at the time, but I started to think the following: ‘if I were to do TV, what would that look like?’ The first thing that came to mind was planet Earth, and the big nature documentaries,” he explained.

“That was the beginning of things. That scope, dedication and care not only for nature but for food,” he noted.

Daily motivations

Regarding his daily motivations, he said, “I feel like it changes week by week, and day by day. Right now, it is actually participating in something that is positive, and that it can actually be a positive force. That really motivates me.”

Working with Matt Goulding

Redzepi had great words about working with co-creator and food journalist Matt Goulding.

“Matt is a fantastic person. He is a super pro, we are lucky to have his energy and wisdom, especially after having worked with Anthony Bourdain on his shows for five years,” he exclaimed.

Redzepi on partnering with Apple TV+ for ‘Omnivore’

On partnering with Apple TV+, he stated, “Honestly, it feels fantastic. They took a chance on this one here. Even though we are a well-known restaurant, we are hardly a world-renowned institution in the public eye. We are mostly for foodies.”

“When they took a chance on this show with this scope, I feel like nobody else could have done that. Also, there is no real host in the show; there is more like a guide such as myself,” he acknowledged.

The digital age

On being a chef in the digital age, he said, “Sometimes when I speak to the young cooks about this, they almost don’t understand that there was a time where you couldn’t post your latest dish on social media, and there was something quite amazing about that.”

“People had to truly discover our place… they had to go there, and they had to taste things. It is actually hard to navigate,” he noted.

“Traditionally, to get your name out there, you would get a review… that was the beginning of everything. It was the top of the top, and the most important thing for you to have,” he said.

“These days, social media platforms such as TikTok can make or break restaurant, and that can be complicated to navigate in all of this big media world,” he added.

Lessons learned from ‘Omnivore’

On the lessons learned from this docuseries, he reflected, “This docuseries taught me that I am allowed to be hopeful, and to actually remember that there are incredible amounts of amazing people out there.”

Technology

Regarding his use of technology in his daily routine, he shared, “From the moment I wake up until I go to bed, technology is everywhere all the time. When I go to the restaurant, I switch the light on via an app. We control all the settings of the house via an app.”

“Technology is how we cool. We control all the fermentations with specialty equipment,” he added.

Advice for young and aspiring chefs

For young and emerging chefs, he said, “Find a place where you can consider it your master, and spend enough time there, which is a minimum of two years to actually really learn to cook.”

Soil health, climate change, and regenerative agriculture

Redzepi underscored the importance of soil health, climate change, and regenerative agriculture.

“We have to acknowledge those. We are blind if we are not seeing that. How we feed ourselves has a huge impact on the world. To try to shift to other options and models is something we need to start exploring,” he said.

A world-renowned chef, Redzepi shared that he is a fan of such environmental documentaries as “Kiss the Ground” and “Common Ground,” both of which pertain to regenerative agriculture and soil health. “I love both of those films,” he admitted.

A fondness and affinity for beets

He also revealed that he has a love and affinity for beets.

“I love beets,” he exclaimed. “Beet juice is the best. If you juice beets and add some lemon juice to it, that is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself. If you like cooking beets, then beet juice is truly a health potion.”

Favorite motto to live by: ‘Don’t panic’

Redzepi’s favorite motto to live by is “don’t panic.” “It doesn’t always happen, unfortunately,” he said. “Actually, I often panic, but I tell myself ‘don’t’,” he said with a sweet laugh.

“Most of the time, things work out in the end,” he added.

Best advice he has ever been given

On the best advice that he has ever been given, he responded, “I’ve been given plenty of advice. I remember when I was a young cook and one of the chefs there came over to me and as I was prepping, he told me: ‘Rene, never stop.’ I don’t know why but that became a thing for me. He basically injected that phrase into my mind. It is all about perseverance.”

Superpower of choice

If he were to have any superpower, it would be “to fly.”

“Also, I would help fix our climate in order to participate in change,” he said. “If we don’t do something about climate change, it might become the great conflict that we all have to deal with soon.”

Stage of his life

On the title of the current chapter of his life, he revealed, “Growing up.”

“I am starting a new chapter, and I think I am going to call it ‘Growing up’,” he explained. “Omnivore is a part of that chapter.”

Noma in the next five years

On the future of Noma, he said, “In the next five years, we are in a stage of transformation. It’s a critical and a very pivotal time for Noma.”

“We are trying to build the platform for the next 20 years. That means a lot of transformation, a new way of operating, a new way of doing business, and finding fresh, creative energy,” he explained.

Future plans

When asked about his future plans, he hinted, “There are a lot of plans for the future, and hopefully, there will be an ‘Omnivore 2.’ A sequel would be fantastic with eight fresh ingredients.”

Pop-up in Japan

Noma will be hosting a Pop-up in Japan later this month.

“On July 25^th, I am moving for six months to Japan, and I will be bringing this entire team, which is over 110 people,” he said. “We will have 13 children with us, and more than 10 spouses. We will all be living and operating a restaurant in the city of Kyoto, Japan.”

Alternate career choice

If he weren’t in the food and hospitality industry, he revealed that he would love to do “something outdoors” for his alternate career choice.

Balancing a family life with a culinary career

“At this stage of my life, I have more oversight, a little more wisdom, and I am less prone to stress for unnecessary things, and I really appreciate that,” he said about balancing a family life with work.

“Also, in my family life, my kids are not infants anymore. I am slowly going into the next phase where the kids are self-running, and that’s a really nice place to be,” he said.

“In our industry, we mostly work at night,” he noted. “I don’t know of any chef that has their own restaurant that they don’t feel slightly guilty towards their family when they are at work. You always seem to juggle those two things. My wife’s mother moved in with us, so we have her to help out.”

“We have also figured out a way to live very close to the restaurant. Our kids have lived a dual life between been at home and been at the restaurant quite a bit,” he said.

“They are restaurant kids, and we live really close to the restaurant,” he added.

Success

On his definition of the word success, Redzepi said, “Success means peace of mind.”

“That’s the biggest success you can have as an individual. In terms of business success, it is about actually making things that matter and things that are special… that is the most incredible thing you can achieve,” he explained.

Message for his fans and supporters

For his fans and supporters, Redzepi said, “Thank you for being a part of this journey that is 20 years on… for following, believing, and keep supporting. We now have our first-ever TV show. Hopefully, this will be the first of many.”

“This is the birth of Noma actually being on TV, and thanks for following along,” he acknowledged.

Closing thoughts on ‘Omnivore’

For fans and viewers, he remarked about “Omnivore,” “First of all, we wanted to make a series that doesn’t point a finger at anyone.”

“At the same time, we have our strong beliefs, but we want people to be inspired, and to want to understand more about food, where it comes from, and why we are eating what we eat and the way that we are,” he elaborated.

“I never knew that my cup of coffee carried such incredible history, where 40 to 50 people touch my cup of coffee even before I drink it,” he explained.

“The essence of all this is how we value the things that we have every day, and if we remember to value the foods that we have. Perhaps we can take care of the food better. If we take care of the foods better, then we are inherently taking care of the world better,” he concluded.

Colin Powell once said: “A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” This quote applies to Redzepi and his team at Noma.

“Omnivore” will be available to stream this Friday (July 19) on Apple TV+, by clicking here.

To learn more about internationally-recognized chef René Redzepi, follow him on Instagram.

For more information on Noma, follow the restaurant on Instagram.

Read More: “Omnivore” food docuseries review.