Meet Mark Cameron. He is a modern-day jack of all trades. We met him performing his chef's role, but he also constructs houses, paints and makes his own jerk sauce.

On Sunday, January 4, Cameron was the caterer for the introduction to Spas at Villa Ronai in Stony Hill, St Andrew. A few months earlier, he had held a successful showing of his paintings at the same venue and had returned to cater for this event.

But he also came to the public's attention for constructing environmentally friendly homes in Ingleside, Mandeville, in Manchester entirely from cut stone.

On the menu

Sunday's menu included jambalaya served with Cameron's smoked snapper and sausage (made in his own smoker); festival, shrimp kebabs and jerk chicken.

But the self-taught Cameron who, like many other chefs, picked up valuable tips at home from his mother and grandmother, spent several years in California serving up Mark's Jamaican Jerk Sauce when he operated the restaurant Caribbean Grill in San Diego, California for seven years till he packed all up and returned home.

Now he is available for special events. "I am passionate about what I do, I like to experiment and I started cooking Cajun dishes because preparing ordinary things bore me so I try different things," he said. The special feature of his cuisine is that the infusion of Cajun and Jamaican gives it a subtle difference.

Cameron, who hopes to operate a restaurant at the Spas at Villa Ronai, can be reached at:382-6703.

barbara.ellington@gleanerjm.com

Mark Cameron explains why his festival is so yummy. The secret could be in the cast-iron frying pan that has been in his family for over 100 years. - photos by Barbara Ellington