I Know This to Be True: Rene Redzepi

By Geoff Blackwell and Ruth Hobday

Chef and restaurant owner René Redzepi is one of the world's most influential culinary figures.

Known for his use of foraged and unusual ingredients, René Redzepi has pushed the boundaries of restaurant cuisine, creating a unique, modern vision for food.

In a frank and relatable interview, Redzepi unpacks the vital role generosity and resolve have played in his life and career, ultimately showing the power of perseverance and magnanimity.

• Redzepi discusses his childhood growing up in Macedonia.
• Explores the origin and transformation of Noma, and why the food industry needs to prioritize sustainability and ethics now more than ever
• Part of the landmark book series that brims with messages of leadership, courage, compassion, and hope

Inspired by Nelson Mandela's legacy and created in collaboration with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, I Know This to Be True is a global series of books created to spark a new generation of leaders.

The series is a collection of extraordinary figures from diverse backgrounds answering the same questions, as well as sharing their compelling stories, guiding ideals, and insightful wisdom.

• This series offers encouragement and guidance to graduates, future leaders, and anyone hoping to make a positive impact on the world.
• For both the food-obsessed and those focused on sustainability, Redzepi is a model for following your passion while holding to your ideals
• You'll love this book if you love books like René Redzepi: A Work in by René Redzepi, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life . . . And Maybe the World by Admiral William H. McRaven, and The Noma Guide to Fermentation by René

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chronicle Books Digital
• Release date: Nov 10, 2020
• ISBN: 9781797207353

Geoff Blackwell

Ruth Hobday and Geoff Blackwell are a creative team based in New Zealand.

Book preview

Dedicated to the legacy

and memory of

Nelson Mandela

First published in the United States of America in 2020 by Chronicle Books LLC.

Produced and originated by

Blackwell and Ruth Limited

Suite 405, Ironbank,150 Karangahape Road

Auckland 1010, New Zealand

www.blackwellandruth.com

Publisher: Geoff Blackwell

Editor in Chief & Project Editor: Ruth Hobday

Design Director: Cameron Gibb

Designer & Production Coordinator: Olivia van Velthooven

Publishing Manager: Nikki Addison

Digital Publishing Manager: Elizabeth Blackwell

Images copyright © 2020 Geoff Blackwell

Layout and design copyright © 2020 Blackwell and Ruth Limited Introduction by Nikki Addison

Acknowledgements for permission to reprint previously published and unpublished material can be found on page 83. All other text copyright © 2020 Blackwell and Ruth Limited.

Nelson Mandela, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Nelson Mandela Foundation logo are registered trademarks of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior consent of the publishers.

The views expressed in this book are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.

ISBN 978-1-7972-0735-3 (epub, mobi)

ISBN 978-1-7972-0020-0 (hardcover)

Chronicle Books LLC

680 Second Street

San Francisco, CA 94107

www.chroniclebooks.com

Contents

Introduction 10

Prologue 20

The Interview 30

About René Redzepi 68

About the Project 72

The People Behind the Project 74

About Nelson Mandela 76

About the Nelson Mandela Foundation 79

Notes 80

Sources and Permissions 82

‘Wherever I go, I read, I look, I taste, I discover, I learn.’

Introduction

Growing up in Tetovo, rural Macedoniai, much of Danish-born René Redzepi’s childhood was spent in the great outdoors. The family home was large and surrounded by gardens and fields. They grew their own fruit and vegetables and had their own hens. Redzepi collected wild berries, mushrooms and chestnuts with his brother. His uncle baked bread. His father, who was raised in severe poverty in the aftermath of World War II, made rich lentil and bean stews. Money was tight, so meat was only served on special occasions. They made their own rosewater instead of buying ready-made drinks. It was a healthy diet that centred on farm-to-table home cooking. Food was at the heart of the family’s life, and the hub around which they gathered each day.

In the late 1980s, when Redzepi was eleven or twelve years old, life as he knew it ended. Yugoslavia was on the brink of a series of wars, and growing conflict made staying in Tetovo dangerous.ii Many people were fleeing the country. His parents made the same decision, packing their things and leaving discreetly in the night, headed for Denmark. It was the last time Redzepi returned to the family home, and the last time he saw many