My first few months have been a whirlwind. Truly.
Completely new to PR, I couldn’t help but be a little apprehensive. With a degree in Creative Arts and some digital marketing experience under my belt, it’s natural when starting a new job to wonder if your skills will transfer.
But I’ve been incredibly impressed by how creative this industry really is. I see it everywhere – like at a frozen cocktail masterclass I attended on my second day of the job. There’s creativity in the mixing, the balancing of flavours, the presentation and how that is captured on camera. These are all skills that I have used before, but in a completely different context.
One of my very first meetings, for example, was getting to visit Waitrose HQ in Bracknell. When Will Torrent, Senior Development Chef at Waitrose, showed us around, it felt like my eyes truly opened to the depth, creativity and possibilities of the wonderful world of foodservice and hospitality. With Will, and with so many I’ve met so far, you can tell there’s passion for what they do. And that was just the start of many, since then I’ve been to events across the country, from the Master of Culinary Arts launch with RACA and the Monin Insights Showcase, to a spot of international travel to the Gelato Festival World Masters – European Finals. It’s been quite the ride already!
As well as the creativity, another thing I love about working at Eat PR is how hands on the team are. In an increasing digital world, I’ve noticed and appreciated how far this team will go to make face to face connections and form relationships. The creative and artistic part of me loves the way we all get stuck in and simply, do. I’m genuinely trusted to get on with things, and love to problem solve this way. It’s something that has helped me find my feet so quickly, as there’s no better way to learn than by being involved and giving things a go.
That’s a valuable lesson I learned during my degree, too. There is only so much planning that can do when you’re working on something, and you’ll never find out if it will work until you start. This way of thinking helped me within this job, especially with my writing. The best thing to do is always to start, you never know where it might take you.
So, what have I learnt in my first few months? A hell of a lot. So much about the ins and outs of the food industry, seeing what happens behind the scenes of your favourite restaurants, and slowly becoming an equipment geek. Yes, I’ve started to peek behind the pass to see what kind of oven a restaurant is using… a fate every Eat PR team member is destined for.
But seriously, I’m genuinely grateful for the opportunity to work at such a fantastic company – and to do it alongside such genuine, supportive and amazing people.
If the rest of my time is anything like my first few months, then I can’t wait. I’m excited to see where my journey with Eat PR & Marketing and the fabulous clients that I’m fortunate enough to work with, takes me.
