levi roots

LEVI ROOTS BIOGRAPHY ONE of the most heart-warming business success stories at present is the phenomenal rise of the Rastafarian musician Levi Roots. He can happily expect to be a rich man soon from producing his Reggae Reggae Sauce, a delightful mix of barbecue and jerk sauce that won a big contract in February to be stocked in Sainsbury's stores across Britain. Three months ago he was selling the sauce at various small outlets in London, including a south London record shop. But that quickly changed when he was featured on the hit TV show Dragons’ Den. Two of the five judges were sufficiently impressed with Levi's charming presentation that included a song whilst strumming on his guitar, that they committed £25,000 each for a return share of 20 per cent of his company. Sainsbury’s now stocks the sauce in its 600 branches and it has sold over 600,000 bottles, a phenomenal rate for a new product. In fact, it is the chain’s fastest ever selling product and supply often cannot match demand. Levi, 48, says: 'People say I'm an inspiration. I've now got 60,000 members on my website's appreciation society and received half a million hits. I call it Reggae Reggae Sauce to put music in your food. It worked. The judges Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh have been wonderful. That money enabled me to open a professional kitchen in Newport, Gwent.’ He was previously making the sauce from his home kitchen with the help of some of his seven adult children. His popular Reggae Reggae Sauce CD donates all proceeds to charity. Levi's secret recipe comes from his grandmother Miriam Small who taught him how to cook from the age of nine in Clarendon, Jamaica. 'She would feed all the children in the area and say: "Feed them and send them off". I had the recipe in my head for years but didn't start producing it until 1991 at the Notting Hill Carnival at what I call the 'Rastaraunt'.' His late entry into the culinary field came because of commitments to music. 'I was enjoying myself touring around the world and performed with icons such as James Brown, Dennis Brown, Michael rose and Black Uhuru. I was nominated in 1998 for a MOBO award for my Free Your Mind album.' He also sang Happy Birthday to Nelson Mandela when the South African icon visited Brixton. Levi is elated with the rapid popularity of Reggae Reggae Sauce. 'The response I've been getting is phenomenal. ..on's Den they corrected me when I said I'd had an initial order of millions from a small firm. That estimation doesn't sound like mistake the way things are going. Jones is very hands on and setting up interviews, press releases and photo shoots. He joked: ‘I want to have Peter and Richard as backing singers and call them my pet dragons.’ Now working on his new album with legendary producer The Mad Professor and he is compiling ‘The Best of Levi Roots’ with Jet Star Records. For now though Levi is concentrating on promoting the sauce with his cookery book to come out for the Christmas 2007 market. He is also launching himself on the after-dinner and motivational speaking circuit.INTERESTING FACTS * He runs the ‘Rastaraunt’ at Notting Hill Carnival in Westbourne Park Road where he sells the sauce * Levi wants to supply to supermarkets his Music Café range of jerk chicken, curry goat and beef sausages * Levi’s Dragons’ Den pitch is already used on university business courses so there is enormous potential to sell the format in educational institutions * Levi used to play football with Bob Marley every Sunday in Battersea ParkFor after-dinner speaking and motivational talks, contact: [email protected]