Sally Gurteen is a tea expert, writer, cook extraordinaire, and Avantcha's marketing manager. She is also my foodiest friend. The first half of the conversation is a true tea masterclass: from how tea is classified and where it comes from, to practical tips for storage, favourite blends from the Avantcha collection, and how Sally brings tea into the kitchen through both sweet and savoury recipes.

The second half explores Sally’s personal relationship with food and tea, deeply influenced by her grandmother Celia and reflected in her Substack publication. The conversation ranges joyfully from dating stories and “millennial men-oirs” to Jungian archetypes, a 92-year-old neighbour, and even the mitochondrial Eve.

A lively, generous, endlessly curious exchange — and a celebration of Sally’s humour, warmth, and zest for life._

Follow Sally on:

Instagram @sally_gurteen

Substack Celia by Sally Gurteen

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Behind the scenes and recipes on my Substack

Follow me on @thevenetianpantry

Follow the show @spillingtea_podcast to see snippets of the conversations and related content

Shop my homeware range on thevenetianpantry.com

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This episode is generously sponsored by Avantcha.

If you’ve been listening for a while, you’ll know I’m a little evangelical about their teas. Avantcha’s collection spans almost 170 varieties — from elevated classics like Majestic Earl Grey (my absolute favourite) to rare small-batch leaves sourced directly from producers around the world. And if you don't know where to start, may I suggest their Silk Teabag Explorer box, a selection of 16 of their best-selling flavours.

You can explore the full range on Avantcha's website and get 15% off your order with the code SPILLINGTEA15.

Find out more at Avantcha.co.uk

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On this episode, we drink Avantcha’s Jasmin Silver Needle

Other teas we mention:

Majestic Earl Grey — Bergamot-perfumed classic, perfect brewed or folded into desserts.

Da Xue Shan Wild Tree Black Tea — Ancient wild-tree black tea from Yunnan, rich, wild and heroic — the one we poured during the show.

Noël — A festive, spiced, comfort-cup for winter nights.

Honeybush Chocolate — Cozy, pastry-like, soft chocolate + almond notes.

Organic Lapsang Bai Mu Dan — Smoked white tea: pine-smoke, honeyed depth, brilliant in cooking.

Matcha — Bright, green, classic morning ritual.

Organic Hojicha — Roasted, nutty comfortable-evening tea.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thevenetianpantry.substack.com