MAD SYD

Some of the world’s most exciting chefs and culinary thinkers will meet at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday 3 April for the inaugural MAD SYD, a day of talks and ideas exploring the future of food.

Confirmed speakers include noma’s René Redzepi, Momofuku’s David Chang, Osteria Francescana’s Massimo Bottura, Billy Kwong’s Kylie Kwong, Zimbabwean farmer and food activist Chido Govera, and Australian social researcher Rebecca Huntley, with more to be announced.

Founded by René Redzepi, MAD (the Danish word for food) is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to build a community of cooks, purveyors, thinkers and food enthusiasts with an appetite for knowledge and a desire to create a better world through a better meal.

The annual MAD Symposium – described by the Wall Street Journal as “the food world’s G20” and “the Davos of food” – has been held in Copenhagen since 2011, providing a global industry forum to discuss and share ideas.

MAD SYD, developed in partnership with the Sydney Opera House, is the organisation’s first-ever major public event, as well as its first in Australia. MAD SYD refers to both the Danish for “food south” as well as the event’s Sydney setting. MAD SYD will take place on the day following the final service of the Noma Australia residency at Barangaroo, Sydney. 

“Back when we started MAD in 2011, we found ourselves on a field, in heavy rain, in a tiny circus tent that ultimately collapsed during lunch” says René Redzepi, founder of MAD. “MAD has been on an incredible journey since then, but the culmination of our long relationship with Sydney and Australia taking place in one of the world’s most iconic spaces is the greatest privilege. We cannot wait to share this day with everyone – friends and family, old and new.”

Ann Mossop, Head of Talks and Ideas at the Sydney Opera House, says: “Over the last two years, Sydney Opera House Talks & Ideas has had the pleasure of welcoming international chefs and food pioneers from Alice Waters and Yotam Ottolenghi, to Jamie Oliver launching his “Food Revolution” with a live cooking extravaganza. We are thrilled to partner with the renowned René Redzepi to see the next phase of MAD begin in Australia.”

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

René Redzepi is the founder of MAD and the chef-patron of noma, a restaurant in Copenhagen and multiple winner of Restaurant Magazine’s ‘Best Restaurant in the World’ award.

Kylie Kwong has been the owner of Sydney’s celebrated Billy Kwong restaurant since 2000 and is a passionate campaigner for sustainable food and ethical eating. She is the author of six books and presenter of three television series, and in 2014 was named by Food & Wine magazine as one of the world’s 25 most innovative women in food and wine.

Momofuku founder David Chang is the chef who turned ramen and pork buns into haute cuisine. Beginning with the Momofuku Noodle Bar in 2004, he has built a culinary empire that includes restaurants in New York City, Toronto, Washington DC, Sydney and his own print quarterly, Lucky Peach, a regular collaborator with MAD.

Massimo Bottura is an Italian-born chef who apprenticed with Georges Cogny and Alain Ducasse in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1995, he opened the multi-award-winning restaurant Osteria Francescana in Modena, which has maintained Three Michelin Stars since 2013. He is also the author of four books, including Parmigiano Reggiano and Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef. 

Chido Govera is a 29-year-old Zimbabwean farmer and campaigner with her own foundation, The Future of Hope. After being orphaned at the age of seven and left to care for her brother and near-blind grandmother, Govera was invited to learn mushroom cultivation, supported by Belgian environmental entrepreneur Gunter Pauli. Today, she teaches mushroom farming to women and orphans throughout the developing world.

Rebecca Huntley is one of Australia’s foremost social researchers and experts on social trends. She is the author of Does Cooking Matter?, a call to arms to bring our nation back into the kitchen, and Eating Between the Lines: Food and Equality in Australia.

More speakers are to be announced.

Sydney Opera House Talks & Ideas presents ideas, conversation and debate from leading thinkers and culture creators from around the world, extending the reach of live events with unique content online.  As well as a year-round program of inspiring events, Sydney Opera House Talks & Ideas features annual festivals All About Women and the Festival of Dangerous Ideas, one-day talks events For Thought and Carnegie Conversations, and a series of arts talks called Culture Club.

Connect with Sydney Opera House Talks & Ideas on Facebook or Twitter and catch up on previous talks via Youtube or iTunes. 

Connect with MAD via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Vimeo. 

René Redzepi and Kylie Kwong at Sydney Opera House, February 2016. Image credit: Daniel Boud.