Celebrity chef Charles Mattocks — self-billed as ‘The Poor Chef’ on account of his low-cost, low-calorie meals — was hosted by Island Grill CEO Thalia Lyn as a guest of honour at her Twin Gates restaurant outlet last Friday. The welcome reception, intimate and light on airs, also doubled as an entrée to the Island Grill brand for Mattocks, who is a regular face on American television with appearances on The Today Show, Dr Oz, The Talk, Good Morning America and CNN.

A diabetic, Mattocks is on a working visit here to put finishing touches to a Caribbean-based reality health show he will launch next year. “Diabetes is a pandemic for us in the Caribbean,” he cautioned the gathering. “We need to seriously look at our eating habits and take control of our diets.”

His proactive answer? “A Biggest Loser for diabetics,” he explained, referencing the popular NBC reality show that features the dramatic weight loss stories of obese contestants.

The premise of Mattocks’ show, which is titled Reversed, will track eight Caribbean nationals afflicted with diabetes living under one roof. The octet will have dieticians, doctors, personal trainers and herbalists to aid in their healthy makeovers.

Lyn, introducing Island Grill’s healthy meal options to the celeb chef, pointed out that menu items under 800 calories were available for diet watchers. She also invited Mattocks to mull over the possibility of a partnership, to which he quipped, “Will you name a dish after me?”

Also on hand at the event were Errol Morrison, President of the Jamaica Diabetes Association, and William Mahfood, Wisynco Group Managing Director.

— Omar Tomlinson

Captions

(Photos: Karl McLarty)

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Island Grill CEO Thalia Lyn (centre) shows celebrity chef Charles Mattocks her eatery’s low-calorie menu options — grilled chicken and vegetables, and brown-stewed chicken with pumpkin rice and vegetables — as operations manager Debbie Richards looks on.

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Charles Mattocks (left) meets Heart Foundation of Jamaica nutritionist Fran Mahfood while Marie Bruce, general manager at Tuff Gong and executive producer of the upcoming Reversed reality show, takes in the scene with her son Malik Bruce.

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William Mahfood, Wisynco Group Managing Director (right),explains that his company’s WATA is a beverage option at Island Grill to chef Charles Mattocks (left) as (from second left) Thalia Lyn, Island Grill marketing officer Corve DaCosta and Errol Morrison, President of the Jamaica Diabetes Association, listen in.

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Island Grill CEO Thalia Lyn introduces Mattocks to a buffet of Island Grill’s catering menu options.