Star chef Seppe Nobels under heavy fire: accusations of drugs, fraud and abuse
The 44-year-old chef Seppe Nobels, known from television and awarded a Green Michelin star, is being confronted by multiple former staff members and partners with allegations of cocaine use, questionable financial dealings and the exploitation of vulnerable employees. He is also said to have ties to
Star chef Seppe Nobels under heavy fire: accusations of drugs, fraud and abuse
The reputation of Seppe Nobels (44) as a socially committed entrepreneur is taking significant blows. The chef, who gained national prominence through Restaurant misverstand and received a Green Michelin star, is being accused of serious misconduct by various former employees and business associates. This is reported by HBVL.
Addiction and drug contacts
According to former technician Benny Boogers, who provided lighting and sound for the chef's activities, Nobels has been using cocaine since the end of 2023. The employee states that the chef returned far too quickly after an attempted detoxification in Thailand. In his own words: he should have spent a full year there. Additionally, Nobels is said to have later begun drinking alcohol as well.
The Antwerp police zone has confirmed that a report was filed against the chef for breaking and entering. At the end of June, he allegedly tried to force his way into the home of a former employee. The file is now with the Antwerp prosecutor's office.
In a drug case against a group called 'Montana', which came before court at the end of last year, numerous conversations have surfaced between Nobels and a dealer. The chef is said to have ordered narcotics in coded language. He reportedly wrote: "How much longer bro, because I have a big hunger" and "Can you supply tomatoes?" Other messages referred to "three cauliflowers and a white cabbage".
Questionable financial flows
The figures for Nobelsdining BV, the chef's private company, raise questions. The catering business posted a profit of over 143,000 euros in 2024, whilst it had not a single employee on the payroll. The personnel costs line is completely blank. At the same time, Nobels has withdrawn almost half a million euros from his own company — exactly 479,692 euros. This suggests that someone with expensive habits constantly needs cash on hand.
Chris Bryssinckx, the driving force behind the not-for-profit organisation Gatam from which the social initiative Instroom emerged, describes the relationship with Nobels as problematic. In a written response to another newspaper, he stated that participants in the project were deployed for work on the chef's private premises. Money earned from external events was also said not always to have been returned to the social project. After the collaboration fell apart, Nobels allegedly continued these methods within his own organisation UnitedWe.
Manipulation and lies
Boogers brings up an incident in which Nobels told a heartrending story about an eighteen-year-old refugee from Gaza. The boy's parents were said to have died, so the story went. Later, however, it turned out that his mother was very much alive and standing right in front of Boogers. The technician concludes that the chef systematically played on people's emotions. Over time, according to him, everything Nobels claimed proved to be false. When Boogers discovered the financial embezzlement, he decided to resign.
Denial
Nobels denies all accusations. Together with his lawyer, he issued a response via VRT NWS in which he spoke of an attempt to publicly bring him down. According to the statement, the allegations are categorically denied. "We stand fully behind our project," it said. The chef announced that he would take legal action at a later time, but not through the press.
According to Boogers, many other people involved are remaining silent out of fear of retaliation.
Source: Het Belang van Limburg