Who we are

Tina Mathas — Founder

South-African born, Greek-rooted, Calgary-grounded—and proudly Canadian for 22 years—Tina believes the best ideas start with a kettle on. She began her career as a chef, then spent three decades in strategy and digital transformation scaling big visions; afternoons with her Yiayia and Zulu Gogo taught her why connection matters more. The youngest of three sisters, she’s tuned to the rhythm of shared tables and generous kitchens.

She’s the heart behind Spill The Tea™—stirring Irish wanderlust, Greek filotimo, and South-African ubuntu into an online movement where people slow down, share stories, and feel seen. We’re gathering the community first; when the moment’s right, that community will help bring our future home to life in Calgary. When she isn’t dreaming up menus and conversations, she’s cheering on her son—or being towed around by a basset hound—with a cuppa in hand.

Winnie — Head Baker & Confectioner

Born and raised in Calgary, Winnie fell for pastry at age five and has been whisk-deep in sugar ever since. By 17 she’d graduated SAIT’s Baking & Pastry Arts program, captured a Silver Medal at the WorldSkills Competition, and sharpened her craft during an apprenticeship in Paris. Today she channels that classical training—and her chocolate obsession—into statement-making dessert tables and the playful creations of her own confectionery studio, Stick o’ Butter. When she’s not tempering couverture or piping roses for Spill The Tea™, you’ll find her in the garden with her two energetic kids, growing the herbs and edible flowers that often bloom on her bakes.

Together we’re building a female-founded, female-run space that cares as much about community as it does about flavour. With more than $1 billion of food wasted in Canada every year, we’re on a mission to prove indulgence doesn’t have to mean excess. We up-cycle ingredients wherever we can, craft menus for minimal waste, and donate surplus bakes where possible, the same day they’re made—because sharing good food is the sweetest way to Spill the Tea™.

It Takes a Village ….

We wouldn’t be here without a few special women!

Marcie Jones—COO by day, connector of hearts by nature. Years ago I coached Marcie; today she’s a dear friend who heard my wild dream for Spill The Tea™ and didn’t blink. Instead of listing reasons it might fail, she rolled up her sleeves and introduced me to the brilliant baker she knew, Winnie. Marcie’s quiet super-power (other than being from Saskatchewan) is lifting women up and linking them together, and that spark of women-empowering-women is woven into every cup and cupcake we serve.

Jan Eden , the “Dream Whisperer,” has nurtured every idea with unwavering belief. She’s the ultimate coach’s coach and part of this city’s DNA. Because of Jan, I’ve tried, failed, and tried again. She opens doors and nudges—then, when needed, lovingly shoves. one of our early customers, this dream wouldn’t be here without her.

And because my village is global: my sisters—one in Switzerland, one in Greece—drafted copy, took photos, shared ideas, and never once talked me out of it. And my almost-80-year-old mama didn’t miss a beat when I said I wanted to start this now; she jumped straight into options to get it off the ground, just as she did with my dad time and again. I am the woman I am because of them.

Spill The Tea™: A Manifesto for Connection, Creation & Community

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Spill The Tea™: A Manifesto for Connection, Creation & Community *

The Memory in a Cup

Tea has always been more than a drink—it was love, it was presence, it was home.

As a little girl growing up between Greece and South Africa, tea meant moments of calm and care. My Yiayia in Greece would make me tea in her tiny kitchen—sometimes with a used tea bag she dried on a string that stretched across the room. Other times, it was chamomile or mountain tea she had grown herself, steeped while we crocheted and talked about everything and nothing.

In South Africa, it was Margaret—my Zulu nanny and my adopted Gogo—who poured love into every cup of milk tea we shared on the veranda, dunking jam sandwiches into chipped metal cups while watching Days of Our Lives. My parents worked sunrise to midnight, seven days a week—these women, Margaret and Yiayia, were my anchors.

They taught me this: Tea is a ritual of resilience. A quiet rebellion against loneliness. A sacred space to feel seen.

It’s Not About the Tea

The tea. The sandwiches. The scones. They’re not the point. They are the invitation.

They invite us to reconnect—to ourselves, to each other, to the land and its stories. Spill The Tea™ is about creating a space where we can pause, reflect, and truly be present. A space where conversation matters. Where the act of sitting down to share a “cuppa” becomes an act of healing.

This isn’t just a store. It’s a call back to what’s real. What’s local. What’s meaningful. A modern sanctuary rooted in old-world heart.

A Movement, Not a Moment

Spill The Tea™ is a movement.

A movement to restore connection, compassion, and community. Especially among women—though not exclusively. We know the world is fractured. But we’ve also seen what happens when women gather: we heal things. We birth new ideas. We shift culture.

Global Roots, Local Soul

This is not a chain. It’s a global-local experience.

At the heart of each Spill The Tea™ space is a deep reverence for place. Whether you visit us in Calgary, Dublin, Johannesburg, or Athens (we have big dreams) —you’ll taste, hear, and feel the culture of that community. From the art to the scones, from the music to the makers—every detail speaks to where you are.

We are creating a tapestry of belonging, one location at a time.

Human First, Even in an AI World

We’re not anti-tech. But we are pro-human.

In an AI-driven world, it’s easy to lose our sense of self. That’s why we must intentionally make space for human connection. For silence. For laughter. For creativity. Because creativity doesn’t thrive in chaos. It thrives in community. In stillness.

And we are all born to create—not just to consume.

Menu with Meaning

Every tea on our menu tells a story. Mine.

Irish Tea—because the spark for Spill The Tea™ was lit on a trip to Ireland, with an inspiring friend, sipping tea in a rain-soaked tea shop in Galway with scones and clotted cream and jam in hand and an idea forming.

Greek Blends—to honour the virtue every Greek is raised on: Filotimo, a way of living with love, honour, and deep respect for others.

South African Teas—a tribute to Ubuntu: I am because we are. The heartbeat of this entire movement.

This is the manifesto of Spill The Tea™.

A love letter to tradition and transformation | A blueprint for community, creativity, and compassionate leadership | A gathering place—online and off—where we let love lead, and the tea is always hot.