Ashleigh Ward

Café Manager / Executive Chef

Ashleigh has come to us from Floyd, Virginia and the Outer Space Restaurant, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She has over 15 years’ experience in the culinary world as a chef, personal chef and event caterer. She is presently studying Nutrition and Dietetics, incorporating her skills and creativity when conceptualizing the health-conscious, balanced and nourishing fare on the menu that captivates the senses of our guests at The Café at Green Leaf and Pebble.  Ashleigh loves exploring new places and traveling with her family and two dogs.

Hannah Proteau

Tea Specialist / Farmers Market Coordinator

Hannah is a born and raised a Connecticut Yankee who moved to Virginia and soon thereafter joined our culinary staff in 2019. Hannah started off in our cafe and tea shop as a server and dishwasher, but immediately excelled with her management and culinary skills into becoming the Kitchen Manager and Lead Cook.  This basis also gave her the opportunity to learn about the over and 120 varieties of loose-leaf organic, Fair-Trade teas in the tea shop.  Hannah became so expert in the organic teas offered by the Green Leaf and Pebble Tea Spa that she was promoted to our firm’s Tea Specialist position, leading our tea sales and services for the cafe and the two Green Leaf and Pebble Tea Spas. She has since built the new and popular “Tea Lab” in our business, which is the State of Virginia’s largest Organic Tea Shop.  Her “lab” specializes in tea blending services, retail and mail order production, as well as for serving customers in our cafe.  Hannah also runs our firm’s very unique and very popular organic tea infused lemonade and Tea ChillerZzzz services for various Hampton Roads Farmer’s Markets.

Ellaine Bay

Team Leader / Sous-Chef

Ellaine was born in Jersey City, New Jersey—the first generation in her family to be born in the US—and moved to Virginia Beach when she was 11. After high school, she earned her bachelor’s degree in culinary nutrition from Johnson & Wales University. Ellaine has over 15 years in the culinary industry, working up and down the east coast—from hotel restaurants, bistros, banquets and catering to working as a personal chef. She’s been able to take her experience from the culinary world into education and has taught culinary arts since 2014.

About working at Green Leaf & Pebble, she says, “I love working at the café because I’m able to combine my passion for food with my journey towards health and wellness, and I can use that knowledge and experience to help others on their wellness journeys. I feel that The Café supports the balance between life and work, and truly nourishes the meaning of wellness as a whole.”

Ellaine has three kids and loves spending time at the beach, watching movies, and gardening.