Young talent heating up Newmans at 988
21-year-old Shaff er
promoted to sous chef
at prestigious restaurant
BY M.J. CODY
It’s been a meteoric ride for 21-year-old
Dru Shaff er, who was recently promoted
to sous chef at the prestigious Newmans at
988 restaurant in Cannon Beach.
It’s not often one has the opportunity to
achieve a life goal by age 21. For that mat-
ter, it’s not often that one knows what direc-
tion in life to pursue at such an early age.
Not so for Shaff er , who, by age 6 was in the
kitchen experimenting with food.
“My mom bought me a cookbook for
Christmas when I was 6 or 7 ,” said Shaf-
fer. “I think it was a Paula Deen cookbook.
I was fascinated with the whole process.
I couldn’t get enough of it. Mom told me,
even then, I was changing recipes.”
As his interest grew, his parents recog-
nized that it was not merely a phase he was
going through. In 2017 his mother took
him to Clatsop County’s Iron Chef Goes
See Page 5
The
Illahee
Apartments
Downtown Astoria’s
Most Respected
Apartment Complex
Since 1969.
1046 Grand Avenue
Astoria, OR 97103
503-325-2280
4 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
Dru Shaff er working in the kitchen at Newmans at 988.