Noma to Honour Pandemic Heroes. Nominate Yours.

As world-leading Copenhagen fine-dining institution Noma prepares to reopen after months of lockdown, chef René Redzepi and his team want to welcome some pandemic heroes to the restaurant as a way of saying thank you.

Like all restaurants, Noma had a rocky year, with the first lockdown forcing it to close back in March. Redzepi did what every restaurateur was forced to do this year, and pivoted to a more casual format, opening in May as an outdoor burger and wine bar.

It proved such a hit with the locals that they decided to make it permanent and they opened POPL, a burger restaurant that can lay claim to the best culinary pedigree in the world.

Denmark, like the rest of Europe, is currently experiencing a third wave of Covid confection. However, the vaccination programme is ahead of other countries, with some 8.3% of the population having received the full vaccination.

It means Danes can look forward to the summer with optimism and, with opening in mind, Redzepi and team thought of a way to mark the difficult year. They are inviting people from all over the world to nominate ‘pandemic heroes’ who, along with a guest, will be treated to Noma’s hospitality, full-tasting menu and beverage pairing. It could be someone who just looked out for their neighbours or even an intensive care nurse or doctor. The restaurant is reserving its first full day of opening for local Danish heroes, with a further 100 dinners for international heroes as soon as it is safe to travel.

If you would like to nominate someone as a pandemic hero, send your applications to link here, by the 1st of April 2021.