This week, I had the immense pleasure of sitting down with my dear friend Sally Gurteen — tea expert, writer, cook, and the brilliant person shaping much of Avantcha’s collection. Sally’s mind (and palate) work in mysterious ways and are truly a joy to behold. She truly is my foodiest of friends.
In the first half of our conversation, Sally guides us through a true masterclass in tea. We learn how every tea — white, yellow, green, oolong, black, and puerh — traces back to the same plant. She walks us through oxidation, sun-drying, charcoal roasting, the difference between Chinese and Japanese green teas, and why a pile of wild leaves gathered on a mountain in Yunnan might taste of strawberries, peppercorns, and honey.
We talk ideal storage conditions, brewing mistakes to avoid, which teas belong in the fridge, and yes — which ones make the best cocktails, chocolates, creams, jellies, panna cottas, and cures for trout.
In the second half, we follow Sally’s personal journey: how she stumbled from the Barcelona food and coffee scene into the world of tea, the grandmother who shaped much of who she is today, and the stories that inspire her Substack publication. We also wander into the unexpected — Jungian male archetypes, the irresistible (some would say unavoidable?) team-Jeremiah-or-team-Conrad debate, a 92-year-old neighbour who whistles to birds, and a scientific theory known as the “Mitochondrial Eve.” There is never a dull moment with Sally, and her zest for life is wildly contagious.
I hope you love this episode as much as I did.
If you do, leave a comment, share it with a fellow tea lover, or review it on your listening platform — it really helps the show grow.
Now, brew yourself something beautiful, settle in, and join us.
Here’s Sally.
In this episode, we mention:
Sally’s Millennial Menoir stories
Her substack series where she shares the highs and lows of modern-age dating.
Elizabeth Gilbert – All the Way to the River
Sally’s reading this book as part of her bookclub. It explores relationships, love addiction, grief, and the story of Elizabeth leaving her husband to care for her dying partner.
Dying For Sex
A series starring Michelle Williams Sally watched recently. She recommends it as a beautiful, funny, deeply humane exploration of grief, pleasure and mortality.
Team Conrad Vs Team Jeremiah
The debate that had millennial women all over the world enthralled over the Summer. A question as old as… well, the Amazon Prime adaptation. Somehow we ended up here: analysing teenage love triangles through the lens of Jungian archetypes, fatalism, and the eternal appeal of the tortured poet. So go on then — cast your vote. Are you loyal to the slow-burn, emotionally constipated Conrad-type, or won over by Jeremiah’s sunshine-and-soft-edges energy? I won’t judge yours if you don’t judge mine.
The Goods Shed
A former Edwardian railway building turned food hall, restaurant and bar just outside Canterbury’s station, The Goods Shed is where Sally works part-time and get inspired by the seasonal ingredients. I have visited many times and it’s always a feast for the eyes and palate. The restaurant is excellent too.
Sally’s 92 year-old best friend Alun
and his uncanny bird-whistling skills, which you can listen to at the end of the episode, or below here. You’re welcome.
In this episode, we are drinking:
Jasmine Silver Needle
Sally’s desert-island tea.
Delicate white buds scented for five nights with fresh jasmine flowers. Soft, floral, calming: the tea you infused into the pear crumble, cream, and syrup. Sally swears it does everything from keeping her teeth clean, alleviating migraines and trimming down her waistline.
The tea is infused by laying fresh carpets of night-blooming jasmine flowers on top of the tea leaves for five consecutive nights.
Link: Jasmine Silver Needle
Other Teas We Mentioned
A selection of Avantcha favourites from our conversation
Out of the nearly 170 different varieties in Avantcha’s collection, we handpicked our favourites, plus some top tips from Sally on how to use them in the Kitchen (beyond sipping)
Don’t forget the code Spillingtea15 to get 15% off the whole range!
Sally’s favourites:
Da Xue Shan Wild Tree (Platinum Collection)
Wild mountain tea — rare, emotional, unforgettable.
Harvested from Camellia taliensis trees growing wild in Yunnan, this tea hold particular sentimental value for Sally, who reminisces about the foraging expedition she went on with the team. She says it tastes of wild strawberries, pepper, and mountain honey, and I can confirm it is delicious (I particularly love it cold brewed).
Link: Da Xue Shan
Chocolate Chilli
Dark, spiced, brilliant in whisky and cocktails.
Peppery warmth and cacao richness — a fun one to play with behind the bar. Sally uses it to infuse Whiskey.
Link: Chocolate Chilli
Organic Wuyi Oolong
Rosy, plummy, syrupy.
Beautiful for poaching fruit, infusing spirits, or simply drinking slowly.
Link: Organic Wuyi Oolong
Matcha
The daily green ritual.
Nutty, bright, vegetal — and stocked in iconic cafés around London, from Prada Café in Harrods to Finks in Clissold Park.
Link: Matcha
My favourites:
Majestic Earl Grey
Aromatic, elegant, addictive.
Perfumed with exceptionally high-quality bergamot oil — intensely fragrant, gorgeous both as a cup and as an ingredient. Brilliant for infusing puddings, chocolate tarts, biscuits, tiramisù, truffles, and cocktails.
Link: Majestic Earl Grey
Noël
Christmas in a cup.
Spiced, citrusy, festive. Notes of orange peel, winter mood, and celebratory warmth.
Link: Noël
Honeybush Chocolate
Desserty, soft, comforting.
A herbal blend scented with chocolate, coconut, and almond. Smells like a patisserie in bloom.
Link: Honeybush Chocolate
Midnight Chocolate (Sally’s creation)
Mint + black tea = liquid After Eight.
Born from Sally’s long-held wish to create a Christmas tea — playful, nostalgic, utterly moreish.
Link: Midnight Chocolate
Velvet Salted Caramel
Roasted apple, fennel seed, liquorice.
A gourmand blend, indulgent and dreamy in desserts (Sally nearly collapsed when she used it in crème brûlée).
Link: Velvet Salted Caramel
Organic Lapsang Bai Mu Dan
Pine-smoked white tea: sweet smoke and honey.
Smoked over pine wood; lovely brewed, but also spectacular used in the kitchen — Sally uses it to cure trout, whip up a Margarita, or infuse savouries.
Link: Organic Lapsang Bai Mu Dan
After Lunch
Herbal digestive blend.
I swear by this digestive blend – particularly good if, like me, you suffer from bloating. Refreshing, palate-cleansing, and your shared favourite for bloating. Light, minty, soothing — your go-to after eating.
Link: After Lunch
Organic Hojicha
Toasty, roasted, soft-edged green tea.
Japanese, comforting, caramelised notes. I discovered it during my last trip to Japan and became addicted. Delicious when used in baking – from chocolate truffles to Hojicha and Pistachio shortbreads. Available both in powdered form (ideal for cooking) and as leaf stems.
Link: Organic Hojicha
