Restaurant News

René Redzepi announces MAD Symposium at Sydney Opera House

Chef René Redzepi will revive his MAD food festival for a one-day adventure at the Sydney Opera House...

By Pat Nourse
Chefs Kylie Kwong & René Redzepi
Hold onto your foraged greens, folks - there's a new twist to the Noma Australia story. Chef René Redzepi has just announced that he'll be reviving his MAD food festival for a one-day adventure at the Sydney Opera House on April 3. Confirmed speakers so far include MAD regulars David Chang, of Momofuku, and Massimo Bottura, of Italy's Osteria Francescana, and African activist farmer Chido Govera, with Kylie Kwong and Does Cooking Matter? author Rebecca Huntley leading the local-talent charge.
This will be the first time that the symposium, founded by Redzepi in 2011, will be held outside Copenhagen. Past speakers have included authors Diana Kennedy and Harold McGee, fermentation guru Sandor Katz, ethnobotanist Andrea Pieroni and environmental activist Vandana Shiva, but chefs from all over the world typically make up the majority of the bill.
"The role of the chef is evolving and developing into a position of influence," Redzepi has said - one that has an impact on the manner in which people and food professionals consume and connect with food. "Such responsibility requires education, an elevation of awareness, and social maturity... Accordingly, the symposium aims to feature speeches from speakers of different disciplines to present numerous perspectives on food and culture. MAD wants those who attend the symposium to return to their kitchens and communities and reflect on what they have seen and heard. There are new questions we now know to ask, so we can become more inquisitive, imaginative, and knowledgeable."
MAD SYD, Sydney Opera House, Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sunday 3 April, 1pm-5.30pm, from $99; tickets on sale from 17 February, visit The Sydney Opera House website for further details.
SHAREPIN
  • undefined: Pat Nourse