Levi Roots is a Jamaican-British musician, entrepreneur, chef, author, and television personality best known for turning Reggae Reggae Sauce into a major UK food brand. His appearance on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den in 2007 became one of the show’s most memorable pitches and brought him national fame.
Born Keith Valentine Graham on 24 June 1958 in Clarendon, Jamaica, he moved to the UK at the age of 11 and grew up in Brixton, South London. Before food made him a public figure, he had already built a career in the London reggae scene.
His route from small-batch sauces made in a Brixton kitchen to supermarket shelves is a story shaped by music, family support, and a recipe inspired by his grandmother’s cooking.
Who is Levi Roots?
Levi Roots is the public and professional name of Keith Valentine Graham, born on 24 June 1958 in Clarendon, Jamaica. Described as a Jamaican-British businessman, celebrity chef, musician, author, and TV personality, he became widely known through the success of the Reggae Reggae Sauce brand.
Who
Levi Roots, born Keith Valentine Graham on 24 June 1958, is a Jamaican-British businessman, chef, musician, and TV personality.
Known for
Reggae Reggae Jerk BBQ Sauce, a memorable Dragons’ Den pitch, and the Levi Roots food brand.
Also
A musician with reggae roots; nominated for Best Reggae Act at the 1998 MOBO Awards.
Online
Official site: leviroots.com; recipes on BBC Food; Instagram: @official_levi_roots.
Key insights
- Levi Roots is the public and brand name of Keith Valentine Graham.
- The Dragons’ Den pitch is the central origin story of the Reggae Reggae Sauce brand.
- Products, sauces, and recipes form the commercial core of his public identity.
- Net worth and wife or family details are not authoritatively confirmed in public sources.
- The music angle “Put Some Music in Your Food” sets the brand apart.
- The sauce began as a small-batch product made in his Brixton kitchen.
Snapshot facts
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Keith Valentine Graham |
| Public name | Levi Roots |
| Born | 24 June 1958 |
| Nationality / heritage | Jamaican-British |
| Primary occupations | Businessman, celebrity chef, musician, TV personality |
| Signature product | Reggae Reggae Jerk BBQ Sauce |
| Notable career moment | Dragons’ Den pitch |
| Net worth | Not officially confirmed; commonly reported at about £30 million |
What is Levi Roots’ real name?
Levi Roots was born Keith Valentine Graham on 24 June 1958. He is better known publicly as Levi Roots, the name under which he has built both his music and food careers.
What is Levi Roots’ background?
Roots was born in Clarendon, Jamaica, and moved to the UK at the age of 11. He grew up in Brixton, South London, an area he still lives in today according to BBC coverage.
Before food, he trained as an engineer but left that path to pursue music. According to an account of his early life, he went on to establish himself in the London reggae scene and built the sauce business gradually with support from his family, including his children.
What happened when Levi Roots appeared on Dragons’ Den?
Levi Roots rose to national fame after appearing on the BBC show Dragons’ Den in 2007, where he pitched Reggae Reggae Sauce. His appearance turned a local product into a national story.
According to Reggaeville’s profile, he secured £50,000 from Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh in exchange for a 40% stake in the business. The sauce itself is a jerk barbecue sauce, or jerk-style barbecue sauce, inspired by his grandmother’s recipe.
Levi Roots received £50,000 from Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh for a 40% stake in the Reggae Reggae Sauce business.
Demand had already been building before the television appearance. Levi Roots sold 4,000 bottles of the sauce at Notting Hill Carnival in one weekend, a figure reported in biographical profiles of the entrepreneur.
Who is Peter Jones in the Levi Roots story?
Peter Jones was one of the two Dragons who backed the business. Alongside Richard Farleigh, he provided the £50,000 investment in exchange for a 40% stake. The Peter Jones connection is frequently highlighted in Levi Roots’ speaker biographies and press materials.
How did Dragons’ Den build the Reggae Reggae Sauce brand?
The pitch brought a long-running family product to a national audience. After the show, the brand expanded into supermarkets, with one source reporting that over 1 million units were to be sold in UK supermarkets in 2012.
Levi Roots also released a music single tied to the brand, “Proper Tings (The Reggae Reggae Sauce Song)”, which reinforced the link between his music career and his food business.
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What Levi Roots products, sauces, and food does he offer?
What is Levi Roots Sauce?
Reggae Reggae Sauce is the product at the centre of Levi Roots’ success. It is described as a jerk barbecue sauce, or jerk-style barbecue sauce, based on a family recipe from his grandmother. DML Talent describes it as a fusion of jerk and barbecue flavours.
What food does Levi Roots make?
The Levi Roots brand has expanded well beyond sauce. Its range includes frozen meals, ready meals, drinks, cookery books, and a restaurant, along with television and media projects tied to the food brand.
The sauce itself was originally made in small batches in his Brixton kitchen. Before the brand reached national retail, it was sold at events such as Notting Hill Carnival.
Where can I find Levi Roots recipes?
BBC Food hosts a collection of recipes associated with Levi Roots on his BBC Food chef profile. The full recipe for Reggae Reggae Sauce itself has not been published; sources describe it as based on a secret family recipe.
Reggae Reggae Sauce is based on a family or grandmother’s secret recipe. Official descriptions call it a fusion of jerk and barbecue sauce, but the complete ingredients and method have not been made public.
Who is Levi Roots’ wife?
No public source names Levi Roots’ wife or clearly confirms that he is married. He is described in BBC coverage as the father of eight children and a resident of Brixton.
Is Levi Roots’ wife publicly documented?
Published profiles of Levi Roots do not provide reliable spouse information. His family is mentioned mainly in general terms, including the role his children played in the early years of the sauce business.
Published sources do not name a wife or confirm a marriage. Confirmed details are limited to his eight children and his base in Brixton.
What is Levi Roots’ net worth?
The most commonly cited figure is that Levi Roots is worth about £30 million, according to the Sunday Times Rich List as reported in secondary sources. Another speaker profile puts the value of the Levi Roots brand at over £30 million.
Why is Levi Roots’ net worth uncertain?
There is no official or audited figure for Levi Roots’ personal wealth. The £30 million estimate appears in secondary sources but has not been confirmed by Levi Roots or his company, so it should be treated as a reported estimate rather than a confirmed fact.
Is there a Levi Roots film?
No confirmed feature film centred on Levi Roots appears in the available sources. The question appears to come from his visible screen career, which includes both acting credits and television programmes.
What does the “Levi Roots film” query mean?
Levi Roots has acting credits that include Rye Lane (2023), Death in Paradise, and Kaleido Ghost, according to his IMDb profile. BBC coverage also notes that his success led to television programmes and restaurant ventures, which may explain the interest in a film or documentary connection.
How has Levi Roots’ career developed over time?
The key moments in Levi Roots’ life and career are documented across biographical profiles and media coverage, including BBC Sounds programme notes.
- – Keith Valentine Graham, later known as Levi Roots, is born in Clarendon, Jamaica.
- Around – He moves to the UK at age 11 and grows up in Brixton, South London.
- Early adult years – He trains as an engineer before leaving that path to pursue music.
- – He is nominated for Best Reggae Act at the MOBO Awards.
- Before 2007 – He sells Reggae Reggae Sauce at Notting Hill Carnival, including 4,000 bottles in one weekend.
- – He appears on Dragons’ Den and secures £50,000 from Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh (year widely reported).
- – One source reports that over 1 million units were to be sold in UK supermarkets that year.
- Ongoing – The brand expands into meals, drinks, books, a restaurant, and new sauces such as Reggae Sunrise.
What facts about Levi Roots are confirmed?
Some parts of Levi Roots’ story are firmly established, while others remain the subject of estimates or unverified reports.
Established information
- Birth name: Keith Valentine Graham
- Born 24 June 1958 in Clarendon, Jamaica
- Moved to the UK at age 11 and grew up in Brixton
- Jamaican-British nationality
- MOBO Best Reggae Act nomination in 1998
- Signature product: Reggae Reggae Jerk BBQ Sauce
- Dragons’ Den investment of £50,000 for 40%
- Official website, BBC Food recipes, and Instagram presence
Information that remains unclear
- Net worth: no official figure; commonly reported at about £30 million
- Wife and marriage details: not identified in public sources
- Existence or nature of a “Levi Roots film”
- Exact broadcast date of the Dragons’ Den appearance (year widely reported as 2007)
Why does Levi Roots’ music background matter?
Levi Roots was a roots reggae performer and producer before he became known for food. An interview with PRS for Music traces his earlier career in the London reggae scene, and his AllMusic artist entry places him within reggae music.
His music credentials include a MOBO nomination for Best Reggae Act in 1998 and performances with James Brown and Maxi Priest, according to biographical sources. The official tagline “Put Some Music in Your Food!” connects that musical identity directly to his food brand.
Like Levi Roots, Montell Douglas – Olympian, Gladiator Fire and Strictly Star has built a public career across multiple fields.
What do the main sources say about Levi Roots?
“Keith Valentine Graham (born 24 June 1958), better known as Levi Roots, is a Jamaican-British businessman, celebrity chef, musician, television personality…”
Wikipedia
“Put Some Music in Your Food!”
Levi Roots official website
“Official dragon slayer #LeviRoots Creator of Reggae Reggae Jerk BBQ Sauce NEW taste #reggaesunrise OUT NOW!”
“Levi is a musician with a love for reggae and roots music. He was nominated for ‘Best Reggae Singer’ at the 1998 MOBO Awards…”
BBC Food
What is the bottom line on Levi Roots?
Levi Roots turned a family recipe, a music career, and one memorable Dragons’ Den pitch into a major UK food brand. His story runs from Brixton market stalls to supermarket shelves, and his public identity still carries the reggae energy that first made him stand out. The brand continues to expand, while some personal and financial details, including net worth and marriage, remain only partially documented.
What else do people want to know about Levi Roots?
How did Levi Roots build demand before Dragons’ Den?
He sold Reggae Reggae Sauce at Notting Hill Carnival, where he moved 4,000 bottles in one weekend. The sauce was made in small batches in his Brixton kitchen before the television appearance.
What did Levi Roots do before his food career?
He trained as an engineer before leaving that path for music. He became established in the London reggae scene and was nominated for Best Reggae Act at the 1998 MOBO Awards.
How many children does Levi Roots have?
Sources say he is the father of eight children. His children were part of the early story of the sauce brand, helping him build the product over many years with family support.
Where does Levi Roots live?
He lives in Brixton, South London, the area where he grew up after moving to the UK from Jamaica at the age of 11.
What is the Levi Roots brand tagline?
The official Levi Roots website uses the phrase “Put Some Music in Your Food!”, connecting his reggae identity to his food products.
Why is Reggae Reggae Sauce described as a secret recipe?
The sauce is based on a family or grandmother’s secret recipe. Official descriptions call it a jerk-style barbecue sauce, or a fusion of jerk and barbecue, but the full ingredients and method have not been published.
Rebecca Haines is Managing Editor at TheUKDaily.uk, running the daily news list, the publishing schedule and newsroom workflow.