TO say that international celebrity guest chef Marco Pierre White immerses himself in the flavours of Jamaica is to put it mildly.

Plodding the wet earth of the Devon House East Lawns Thursday last at the 12th annual Jamaica Observer Food Awards, White surveys the offerings like a kid in a candy store, or better yet, like a chef in a spanking new kitchen.

“What’s this?” White asks Claudette Tenn of Homestyles who is displaying the would-be Best New Food Item Mackerel Run Down and Brown-Stewed Chicken paired with breadfruit. The chef samples Tenn’s chicken, complimenting her on the juicy, tender meat spiced to perfection. She smiles and offers him a jar of Homestyles Jerk Seasoning. The chef heads for his next spot — Food Basket.

Perhaps it’s the smell of jerk that prompts White to stop and try Lloyd Sterling’s Matie Sauce, nominated in the Best New Sauce Item category.

White takes a plate on which Sterling places bits of jerk pork topped with his trademark sauce.

“It’s very good… a nice balance of spice and sweetness,” White says, sharing that the guava-based sauce could be just as popular as the British-Jamaican sauce product Reggae Reggae.

There are more delights to be had as White taps Hamilton’s Marlene Betty on her shoulder in a bid to try the smoked sausages.

“These are delicious,” he says with a gracious smile as the young lady explains the versatility of Hamilton’s sausages. It’s now the Guardian Life booth that has White’s attention and he makes a beeline for young chef John Comrie who is manning the presentation.

“Good evening, and what do you have here?” White asks Comrie, who politely informs that he’s serving miniature cups of ham and peas bisque. White nods in approval, taps Comrie on the shoulder and passes him a compliment.

The more experienced Oji Jaja seems less intimidated by the burly White. Jaja captures the good chef’s imagination with his beautifully decorated booth; soft lighting and glass blocks are the perfect props to display his crispy tofu, grilled chicken and mango salad.

But it’s perhaps what he says to Runaway Bay HEART Academy student Seymour Elliott that’s most heart-warming.

“Make sure you learn all you can, practise, practise and you’ll do well… and use this,” White shares, tapping the teenager’s chest in reference to his heart.

It’s clear that Marco Pierre White is a hit.

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