Mad, Mad World

We were enthusiastic. The two days spent in Copenhagen, eating in a white tent and listening in a red tent, were jubilant and actively-attended. There was no lack of excitement or participation. 

The tension at these types of events tends to be the push and pull of the urge to celebrate, to be unabashedly positive about an industry that has suffered hugely, and to recognise the massive hurdles faced by hospitality. MAD this year highlighted that tension. The theme, “Build to Last,” was roughly broken down between the two days of talks, the first day looking back (kind of), and the second day looking mostly forward. 

And so, on day one, we watched talks about how to be a better ancestor, about a son taking over a family restaurant and turning it into a new kind of destination. We watched Redzepi interview Thomas Keller – during which a MAD employee brought an actual goat out on stage to underline the idea that Keller is “the GOAT”. (Sleep, exercise and nutrition are key to success, Keller told us, which sounds very nice!) 

The most impactful moments of the day for me came during the talk given by Mickey Bakst of Ben’s Friends, speaking about the epidemic of substance abuse and mental health issues in the industry. 

Climate, culture and creativity were major themes during day two, which began with a vegetable orchestra, continued with a seminar on how to fall in love with the future, and then introduced us to a young woman who encouraged chefs to think about far-flung regions as potential locations for restaurant projects. But here is where MAD got truly interesting – the conversation shifted to a place where concrete advice and actions were front and centre.

Erin Wade, owner of Homeroom in Oakland, spoke about strategies she has implemented in her business that have increased profit, worker satisfaction and retention, and given strategies to other public-facing businesses to reduce harm and harassment for employees. Legendary businessman (he’d hate that title), philanthropist and founder of Patagonia Yvon Chouinard spoke about giving away his billion-dollar business, and told us that if he were to start a restaurant, it would be a beans and rice restaurant (“and they would be the best beans and rice ever!”). A group of teenage girls from Iceland showed up who were seventh generation wild salmon guides, and gave us an incredibly mature and moving speech about the awfulness of ocean-farmed salmon, in terms that were as upsetting as they were convincing. But the amazing part about their presentation was its focus on solutions: “We know the demand is greater than what can be met with wild-caught salmon,” they told us, urging people to support land-based salmon farming as a way forward.

And Josh Niland of Sydney’s Saint Peter did Australia incredibly proud, with a talk that focused on figuring out the strengths of your employees and organising your business around promoting those strengths (and mitigating the need for them to spend time on things they don’t enjoy or feel pulled towards). He still butchered a fish, ahead of his talk, and its gloriously and meticulously flayed body was on display as he spoke. But Niland is thinking beyond the things that made him famous, and it bodes well for his role as a leader for the future. 

It’s easy to be cynical at events like MAD. The group is inherently privileged, to even know about this kind of thought-based event, let alone find a way to attend. In a breakout session, when asked about the obstacles the industry faces in trying to create a better future, one chef replied “I think one of our biggest obstacles is focusing on the obstacles. We should focus more on the joy of our careers.”