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Who Was Naomi Pomeroy? All About Award-Winning Chef And Bobby's Triple Threat Guest Judge As She Dies Aged 49
Naomi Pomeroy, the renowned Portland chef and James Beard Award winner, passed away on July 13, 2024, in a drowning accident. Explore her influential career and contributions below!
Trigger Warning: This article mentions death by drowning
Naomi Pomeroy, a much-celebrated name in the Portland food scene, passed away due to drowning while floating on the Willamette River on Saturday, July 13.
According to the local news outlet KEZI, Pomeroy, along with her husband, Kyle Linden Webster, and another unnamed friend, was floating on inner tubes downriver from Crystal Lake when their flotilla flipped over in fast-moving currents after hitting a snag. While her husband and their third companion managed to make it to the shore, Pomeroy could not. She was 49.
Amid the revered chef’s death, below is an account of her life and legacy.
Who was Naomi Pomeroy? A James Beard award-winning chef with plans for the future
Per Portland Monthly, Naomi started as an unschooled chef who made her first recipe at age 4. She had just recently opened a frozen custard shop with one of her longtime collaborators, Mika Paredes, and had plans in place to open a new bistro in the Woodsman Tavern location next door.
Pomeroy, who was awarded the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific in 2014, was also known for her restaurant Beast. She closed the local eatery in May 2020 to reopen Ripe Cooperative in the same space. In October 2022, plausibly hit by the pandemic, Pomeroy closed the restaurant and market, citing rising costs.
Pomeroy cared about other restaurants in Portland as much as she cared about hers
Per KGW8, Naomi, during the pandemic, worked closely with Congressman Earl Blumenauer to secure federal funds to save restaurants.
“What a loss. Naomi was not just a fabulous chef and entrepreneur, but an amazing human being,” the Congressman said of Pomeroy in a statement shortly after the news of her death went public. “Her impact went far beyond Portland, helping establish our leadership and reputation for food excellence. She will be greatly missed.”
Pomeroy, in 2009, was listed as one of America’s Top 10 Best New Chefs by Food & Wine. Oprah Magazine also recognized her talent and named her one of the Top 10 Women on the Rise in 2010. In 2013, she appeared as a contestant on Top Chefs Masters but could not get far in the cooking competition.
As recently as last year, Pomeroy served as a guest judge on Season 2 of Bobby’s Triple Threat.
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