TEAM | Salt & Stone

"As a woman owned and operated company, inclusivity is at the heart of everything we do. From our team to our events, we create spaces that honor diversity and invite everyone to feel at home." - Tana J. Duncan

TANA J. DUNCAN

FOUNDER, EXECUTIVE CHEF

Tana J. Duncan is a Bay Area–based chef whose career spans more than two decades of fine dining, boutique catering, and private culinary services. Her work is distinguished by a refined palate, an instinct for balance, and an artful approach that merges cuisine with design. Each menu is composed with intention, seasonal, beautiful, delicious and crafted to leave a lasting impression.

With Salt & Stone Catering, Tana extends her private chef expertise to full-scale events, curating elevated culinary experiences supported by a team of trusted professionals and longstanding vendor partnerships. From concept to execution, every detail reflects her signature blend of sophistication, flavor, and finesse.

Montana-raised and nature-inspired, she brings her love of design, style and healthy living into her work. You can find her balancing a type-a grind culture business life with an enjoyment of peace, friends, family, dogs, comedy, music and the other finer things in life. Like true crime documentaries, snacks and sizzling next to a body of water. Yaasss.

Discover more at tanajduncan.com.

Manager, Director of Sales & Client Relations, WSET 2 Wine Specialist

Lily Sauer

Lily is a versatile professional, blending her skills as a table stylist, florist, and front-of-house server to create captivating experiences. Her passion lies in unleashing creativity and turning clients' dreams into tangible, breathtaking realities. With many years in the service industry, you are in good hands.

Lily is the founder of Lil Bellamosa, an environmentally conscious company, producing custom designed textile products sustainably.

Lily is a Santa Cruz native. In her free time she enjoys working in her garden and baking sour dough.

lilbellamosa.com

Head Chef, Culinary Director

Abril Ramirez Montes

Abril is a consummate professional chef with more than a decade of experience in Michelin-starred restaurants and world-class bars. From the Bay Area to Mexico City. As Culinary Director, she brings both precision and creativity to the forefront, uniting refined technique with a meticulous eye for detail. Her culinary artistry was on full display with Mestiza, a celebrated pop-up that reimagines Cali-Mexa cuisine by blending cultures, traditions, and modern techniques. Guided by a love of travel and inspired by global flavors, Abril crafts experiences that are at once elegant, contemporary, and deeply rooted in culinary heritage.

San Francisco based, food and wine LOVER and a supreme Bad B she is a celebrated core member of our team and brings the sauce. Truly. Her sauces are unreal.

Director of Operations, Event Manager

Jessica Bradshaw

As the operations Manager and Event Coordinator at Salt & Stone, Jessica brings the wheels that keep the buggy rolling! Bringing more than two decades of experience in the service and hospitality industry. With experience between New Zealand, the Bay Area and Las Vegas she has managed everything from luxury weddings to large-scale corporate events, always with an exceptional eye for detail and flawless execution. Fortuna Events, her private event coordination company, helps couples dial in all of the details of their events with ease and skill.

As Chef Tana’s right hand and “second brain” in event organization, Jessica ensures that every part is handled seamlessly—allowing each event to unfold with precision, beauty, and ease. Her professionalism, loyalty, and calm command of logistics make her an indispensable part of the team.
She also loves true crime documentaries. And dogs.

Server, Photographer

Savannah Ferris

Savannah is a wedding and event photographer who specializes in capturing life’s most cherished moments while creating a fun and vibrant experience along the way. Paying close attention to mood, lighting and vibes while carrying an enthusiastic energy is what sets her apart.

Savannah has been working with Tana for the last decade, as assistant, server, and sous chef.

savannahrhaephotography.com

Server, Event Stylist

Sydney Johnson

Sydney is a visionary creative professional with a passion for transforming ideas into captivating realities. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for elevating celebrations, Sydney has transformed her company Bash Works into a go-to source for unforgettable events.

With a background in hospitality and a flair for design, Sydney seamlessly blends creativity and professionalism. Driven by a love for creating joy and bringing visions to life, Sydney continues to set the standard in the event rental industry, making Bash Works a trusted name for celebrations of all kinds.

thebashworks.com

Server, Grazing Board Lead, WSET 2 Wine Specialist, Spirit Specialist

Danielle Ballensky

Danielle has years of experience in the wine and spirits industry and is currently a field sales manager for a local distribution company. She is a cocktail master and is WSET 2 certified in wine and spirits. She does contract work for specialty cocktails and wine tastings. As our resident grazing board queen, she does elaborate and impressive boards for our guests. Her combined knowledge and love of all of things fine wine is promised to elevate your dining experience.

Danielle loves spending time with her husband and two children, and is very excited about her new backyard chicken coop!

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Owner, Mother Shucker

Heidi Rochelle // Shucked Raw Bar

Heidi’s role in an unexpected yet rewarding seafood career began when she was just 23. In 2003 she and her partner Hans Haveman launched H&H Fresh Fish Co. born from their love for the ocean and support of sustainable fishing.
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In 2018 Heidi organized her dream of a mobile raw bar catering service into what is now an H&H subsidiary - Shucked Raw Bar. She and her team are expert shuckers with access to the freshest seafood. Their full service raw bar can include oysters on the half shell and other H&H specialties such as poke, ceviche, sashimi, shrimp cocktail, and caviar.

Heidi has enjoyed seeing this vision come to life in a way that’s a more formal vibe than H&H yet with the core values of superb seafood, customer service, and style.

shuckedrawbar.com

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Owner, Florist

Samantha O'Shea // Dearly Floral

Samantha, owner and lead designer of Dearly Floral has had the joy of using flowers as a medium for the last 10 years. Using nature as her muse, to create intentional, modern, and timeless designs.

Appreciating and honoring the seasonality of nature, Samantha aims to create work that is sustainable and unique to each client. She prioritizes the process of building strong relationships to have each design be a reflection of their collaboration.

Dearly floral is based in Santa Cruz County, serving the San Francisco Bay Area, Monterey Bay, and beyond.

dearlyfloral.com

Custom Cakes

Tia Schmidt // Bungalow Bakes

Custom cakes with love! Led by owner Tia Schmidt, our cozy Santa Cruz home bakery crafts edible masterpieces. From elegant wedding creations to whimsical birthday cakes, we blend artistry, quality ingredients, and diverse flavors.

@Bungalow_bakes_cakes
Bungalowbakescakes@gmail.com

Bartending Service

Whitney Wolf // Wander Events

Wander Events is a woman-owned mobile bartending company offering full-service bar experiences for weddings, corporate parties and private events throughout California. Our team of professional bartenders delivers more than just great service, we craft elevated memorable bar moments. Our cocktails feature our Wander-made syrups, infusions, and mixers, developed in-house to enhance flavor and presentation. From signature drink design to seamless execution, we bring expertise, creativity, and style to every pour.

Head Server

Megan Hunter

Megan is a licensed esthetician and proud owner of Let's Talk Skin, a holistic minded esthetics business in Santa Cruz. She has a passion for skincare, hospitality, and helping people feel their best. With over 10 years of customer service experience across multiple industries—including time spent learning the art of wine from a true pioneer—she brings a warm, detail-oriented approach to everything she does. When she's not giving facials, you'll find her exploring the outdoors with her dog or hosting gatherings for friends and family. She believes in creating welcoming spaces whether in the treatment room or around the table.