Sainsbury's gets saucy for reggae Roots

3:43pm Sunday 11th March 2007

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Saucy reggae singer and entrepreneur Levi Roots has struck a deal with Sainsburys to sell his recipe in stores nationwide after securing finance on BBC2's Dragon Den.

Levi, real name Keith Graham Levi Roots, from Brixton, recently appeared in Streatham and Croydon to promote the sauce.

He presented his grandmother's recipe for West Indian jerk sauce to the millionaire panel of investors on BBC2's Dragons Den earlier this year.

Telecoms boss Peter Jones and Australian private investor Richard Farleigh agreed to pay £25,000 each for a 20 per cent share of his business.

Roots received a small loan from Greater London Enterprize oneLondon last year to test his business idea for the now famous sauce.

Roots originally produced the sauce from his Brixton kitchen with his children's help.

However orders for the sauce have been spiralling out of control following a number of personal appearances, including Croydon and Streatham, and production of the sauce became too much for the singer to handle on his own.

The sauce was literally flying off the shelves in the Balham branch of Sainsbury's on Thursday night and the singer has now posted a notice on his website.

It says: "Many people have kindly ordered my Reggae Reggae sauce, but due to the overwhelming success and interest since my appearance on Dragons' Den aired, I have been too busy to fulfil many of these orders. Since taking these orders, Peter Jones has managed to tie down a contract with Sainsbury's to sell it in all their stores and the current price is £1.49."

He also promised to refund money to those who have ordered the sauce from him for the original price of £4.50.