Humble Beginnings

Levi’s story begins in a tiny little village in Clarendon, Jamaica. As a young boy, Levi helped his grandmother in the kitchen. She taught him the secrets and subtleties of mixing Caribbean flavours, herbs and spices. During this time, the Levi also discovered his love for music at the church his grandmother sung at.

Life in London

While Levi lived with his grandparents in Jamaica his parents were in Brixton working hard so that Levi and his five older siblings could move to England. Every year they would send for another child from the eldest to the youngest. Eventually it was Levi’s turn.

Here Levi went to school for the first time and also came across the Notting Hill Carnival, 'I loved the music, the food, the colours.' Little did he know that he would later have his own stall there selling the Reggae Reggae Sauce that would make him his fortune!

Reggae Reggae Roots

For years Levi made the sauce from his kitchen in Brixton with the help of his seven children, selling his overwhelmingly popular sauce out of bag on his back.

At 1991's Notting Hill Carnival Levi created a fusion between the food he was cooking and the music he was playing, opening the ‘Rasta’raunt', which was so popular it is now an annual fixture at Carnival. Despite the sauce's popularity it took another 16 years of rejection from banks and businesses to invest in the product who thought it looked and sounded “too black”.

Dragon Slayer

In 2006, Levi was spotted at the World Food Market by a BBC researcher and invited to appear on the programme Dragons’ Den. Levi had never even heard of the show, and went home to his kids asking them what Dragons’ Den was. They begged him not to appear saying; Dad, don't go on that show, they'll just tear you to pieces!

Although he was doubtful about the programme, Levi’s mother encouraged him to come back as a ‘Dragon Slayer’. Levi put his faith in Reggae Reggae Sauce to win over those fiery Dragons.

Hitting the shelves

The sauce was an instant hit. In exchange for a 40% stake in his business, he secured the support of millionaire ‘Dragons’, Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh for £50,000. Peter Jones helped to get the sauce listed by Sainsbury's, turning the dream into a reality.

Levi's success has been nothing short of a whirlwind and he has even been invited by Gordon Brown to no.10 in recognition of his notable success as a black man in Britain attaining financial achievement through enterprise. Levi equates his success to putting himself into the product.

"I will never forget that little paradise Content (in Jamaica) and my saintly grandmother, who helped to make me the success I am now."

The Present and the Future

Levi's main focus has been to promote the Reggae Reggae brand and the message it symbolizes. 'I want to spread the word that if a black Brixtonian Rastafarian can make it with just a sauce, then you can make it too.'

Levi also gives back to his community that supported him along the way with the Papine Jerk Centre eatery, on the Winstanley Estate in Battersea, south London. The takeaway sells honest, good value, spicy Jamaican food.

The sauce range continues to grow with Caribbean inspired cooking sauces, ketchups, dipping sauces, pasties and more. Numerous high profile restaurant chains have signed deals with Levi to use the sauce on their menus including Wetherspoons. The Slug and Lettuce and high street sandwich franchise Subway.

TV appearances continue to come thick and fast with Levi appearing most recently in his debut series 'Caribbean Cooking Made Easy’ in which Levi aims to make the vibrant tastes and healthy ingredients of Caribbean food more accessible. Following the success of Levi's Reggae Reggae cookbook in 2008, he has released a follow-up book to accompany the TV programme which features 100 vibrant dishes including all the recipes cooked on the show.

As well as cooking Levi continues to fulfill his passion for credible roots music and he has recently completed his latest studio album 'Red Hot' with its catchy summer single ‘So Out Of My Mind’ Levi’s Reggae Reggae Sauce CD is also still available with every penny going to Comic Relief.

With seemingly endless possibilities for the popular Levi Roots brand, Levi continues to bring the sunshine of the Caribbean to all of his ventures while popularizing the spicy flavours of his Jamaican heritage….Always focused and ever motivated Levi Roots remains true to his inspired mantra of success, ‘Put some music in your food!'