Tribute to the late Hugh Groman, talented chef

OAKLAND, Calif. - We lost a member of our extended KTVU family on Mornings on 2.  

Hugh Groman was a talented chef who made numerous visits to our KTVU studios.    

He was simply the best at creating delicious meals, desserts and appetizers that were usually punctuated by a tasty libation and a wry smile.

Groman died unexpectedly Aug. 29 at the age of 53.   

The Yale graduate grew up in Lafayette, and after years working at New York’s Gramercy Tavern, came back home to open his highly successful catering business in Berkeley in 2001.

He served the likes of President Barack Obama and the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg and countless businesses and households throughout the Bay Area.   His business grew to 123 employees and will continue despite his sudden death. 

His recipes were legendary, but it was truly Groman who stole the show.   

His quick wit and devilish personality were always front and center.  

I had the pleasure of working with Groman on dozens of KTVU cooking segments that were always served up with a big side of good humor and laughter.   

On New Year's Eve morning in 2023, Groman was showing us all how to properly open a bottle of champagne.   

As fate would have it, the cork exploded off the bottle and made a b-line for my face.  

Bullseye!   

I was not injured, but we played it up throughout the segment laughing all the way. 

Groman later posted the video, and it got tens of thousands of hits.   

There was always a twinkle in his eye that made our mornings with Groman so special.    

Groman leaves behind his husband, Noah, father, Phil, sister Nina, two brothers, Jay and Eron, seven nephews, four nieces and three dogs.   

He was a compassionate, generous and thoughtful man who absolutely loved his work, and we were blessed to have him as part of our KTVU family.