Unexpected takeaways from a tapas-making class

For me, cooking is a great opportunity to be creative - but a bit of expert guidance is always welcome which is why I attended a tapas-making course at the Strawberry Tree restaurant in Lyme Regis. As often happens, I came away with more takeaways than I'd expected, including these tips which just as easily apply to working in communications:

• Simplicity works. Many of the dishes were much simpler to prepare than we imagined, but with expert guidance, we were able to create fabulous food with relative ease.

• Quality ingredients count. It's much easier to create something fabulous with the right foundations in place. In comms terms that's about recognising the true strengths of your organisation and building from there.

• Confidence is what stands between a perfectly flipped tortilla and an eggy mess on the floor. Focus on the preparation, so when you need to act, you do so with greater certainty.

• Tailor for your audience. In a class of eight, we were all making the same dishes, but chose our spice quantities based on personal preference. What may feel bland for some will be perfect for others - understanding our audiences is key.

• Accept that not everything will work for everyone. Sometimes, no matter how much effort and expertise you put in to creating the perfect dish for a defined audience, someone may not be able or willing to eat what's on offer. And that's OK.

I love doing courses like this - a complete change from work and an opportunity to get creative, learn new skills and meet different people. How about you?

Photo caption: Spanish tortilla - admittedly not the one we created because my food photography isn't up to the job! Thank you Canva.