The James Beard award-winning chef died in an accident on July 13.
Naomi Pomeroy, a trailblazing Portland chef and owner of Beast, Expatriate, and Cornet Custard, has passed away at the age of 49.
On July 15, Pomeroy’s family confirmed that she is feared to have drowned while tubing on the Willamette River on July 13, according to Portland Monthly. She is survived by her husband Kyle Webster and daughter August, who is 23 years old.
According to local authorities, Pomeroy went under the water and did not come back up while inner tubing on the Willamette River. At the time, she was not wearing a life jacket. The report mentioned that her husband and another individual on the tubing trip survived.
Born in Corvallis, Oregon, Naomi Pomeroy started her first culinary venture, Ripe Catering, at age 24 in 1999. Shortly afterward, she launched an underground supper club named Family Supper. Following her early ventures, she opened Gotham Coffee Shop in 2002, Clarklewis in 2004, and Gotham Tavern in 2005 according to her cookbook bio.
After these initial ventures closed or were sold, Pomeroy opened her buzzy and intimate restaurant, Beast, in 2007. In 2020, Beast was transformed into Ripe Cooperative, a marketplace and restaurant offering preordered meal boxes.
During her time at Beast, she and her husband also launched a cocktail bar called Expatriate in 2013.
This June, Pomeroy expanded her culinary footprint with Cornet Custard, a venture that started as a frozen custard pop-up and operated out of her flower shop, Colibri. She also announced the fourth year of her seasonal restaurant, Garden Party, which operates only in the summer.
Between all of her business ventures, Pomeroy also published a cookbook, Taste & Technique, in 2016. She appeared on cooking competition shows, including Top Chef Masters in 2011.
She was recognized by outlets like Bon Appètit, Food & Wine and Oprah as a chef to watch. In 2014, she won a James Beard Award for Best Chef Pacific Northwest.
Her family has requested privacy during this time. There has been an outpouring of condolences for the talented chef, including from Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer.
“What a loss. Naomi was not just a fabulous chef and entrepreneur, but an amazing human being. Her impact extended far beyond Portland, helping establish our leadership and reputation for food excellence. She will be greatly missed,” said Congressman Blumenauer in an official statement.
Fellow chefs have also expressed their condolences. Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio shared on X (formerly Twitter), “Just horrible news, we lost another great chef. My heart goes out to Naomi’s family.”
Cherry Bomb podcast host Kerry Diamond wrote on Instagram, “I’m grateful I got to stop and smell the roses with Naomi. I am so sorry for everyone’s loss. Rest in peace.”
