Guardian staff reporter, Author at Save Smartly

Blind date: ‘It felt like taking part in Blind Date was a lifelong thing she wanted to do’

Guardian staff reporterJune 6, 2026

Laurine on Theo What were you hoping for?Love! Or someone new, great conversation, a free dinner and feature in my favourite Guardian column. First impressions?Very nice to staff, punctual and happy to be here. What did you talk about?Inheritance tax. What animals one would have on their dream farm. How he had never read a […]

Helen Goh’s springtime spinach sponge cake with cream cheese icing – recipe | The sweet spot

Guardian staff reporterMay 1, 2026

There is a particular green that belongs to spring: pale and luminous, it’s softer than the dark foliage of winter, and quieter than the glossy abundance of summer herbs. Spinach, the colour of new growth, captures this moment perfectly. Tender and almost impossibly vivid, this cake loses its metallic edge in the heat of the […]

Blind date: ‘Most awkward moment? When he nearly set the menu alight’

Guardian staff reporterApril 25, 2026

Abby on Charlie What were you hoping for?A different kind of Friday night with good company and a fancy meal! First impressions?Charlie was super friendly and really easy to chat to. What did you talk about?Our jobs. Rowing. Cycling. Book recommendations. Where we both want to travel to next. Most awkward moment?When Charlie nearly set […]

Harissa carrots and preserved lemon potatoes: Helen Graham’s recipes for roasting vegetables with hawaij spice mix

Guardian staff reporterApril 13, 2026

Hawaij is a Yemeni spice mix that came into my life during my time at the Palomar in London, and it has not left my spice cupboard ever since. It’s a mix of turmeric, black pepper, cardamom and ground coriander, giving it an earthy, vegetal flavour, and it’s traditionally used in soups and stews; it’s […]

Tanya Bush’s recipes for carrot cake with cream cheese mousse, and Neapolitan pavlova

Guardian staff reporterApril 1, 2026

Carrot cake is heaven at any time of year, but especially around Easter. Thanks to a generous glug of olive oil and heaps of finely shredded carrots, this single-layer version stays moist for days. A supple crumb, deep carrot flavour, a halo of cinnamon: it’s as close to divinity as I’ll ever get. For something […]

Sudoku 7,248 hard

Guardian staff reporterMarch 20, 2026

Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3×3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9. To see the completed puzzle, buy the next issue of the Guardian (for puzzles published Monday to Thursday). Solutions to Friday and Saturday puzzles are given in either Saturday’s or Monday’s edition.

Killer sudoku 1,013

Guardian staff reporterMarch 14, 2026

Normal sudoku rules apply, except the numbers in the cells contained within dotted lines add up to the figures in the corner. No number can be repeated within each shape formed by dotted lines. To see the completed puzzle, buy the next issue of the Guardian (for puzzles published Monday to Thursday). Solutions to Friday […]

Heard it on the grapevine: Polish wine’s quiet renaissance

Guardian staff reporterFebruary 12, 2026

Swap the staid stereotypes of Żubrówka vodka and Żywiec lager for vineyards and vintages, because Poland is in the throes of a viticultural renaissance, the likes of which hasn’t been seen for centuries. On a road trip tracing Poland’s best terroirs back in the summer of 2023, I met winemakers going against the grain, unshackled […]

Cocktail of the week: The Palomar’s bumblebee – recipe | The good mixer

Guardian staff reporterJanuary 23, 2026

This drink is full of ginger spice and aromatics from both the honey and the London dry gin. The fresher it is, the better, so don’t keep the syrup for longer than two days. I’m pretty particular about citrus shelf life, too, so always squeeze it fresh and never keep it overnight or, heaven forbid, […]