Levi Roots is a hugely popular entrepreneur, musician, chef and TV celebrity who won £50,000 on the BBC’s Dragon’s Den… then never looked back.

In Episode 74 of Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders Podcast, he tells Visiting Honorary Professor Mike Sassi about the challenges of arriving in the UK as an 11-year-old from Jamaica – and the influence of his mother and the Windrush Generation.

He explains how he turned his Reggae Reggae Sauce from a family recipe into a major supermarket brand – discussing mentorship, storytelling and the power of perseverance.

INTRODUCTION to Levi Roots

• Born Keith Valentine Graham in Clarendon, Jamaica, in 1958. Raised by grandparents until joining his parents in Brixton, London, as a child.

• Grew up immersed in Caribbean culture, music, and food traditions that later shaped his career.

• Performed reggae from a young age; developed a reputation in London’s reggae scene. Played with icons such as James Brown and Maxi Priest.

• Created his grandmother’s traditional Caribbean Reggae Reggae Sauce in his Brixton kitchen. First sold it locally at food stalls, community events, and the Notting Hill Carnival.

• Relied on resilience and improvisation, building his business with minimal resources.

• Appeared on BBC’s Dragons’ Den performing his pitch with a guitar and the now-famous Reggae Reggae Sauce song. Secured £50,000 investment from Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh. Became one of the show’s most iconic success stories.

• Built a multimillion-pound food empire featuring sauces, frozen meals, snacks, cookbooks, and merchandise. Known for blending Caribbean heritage with mainstream UK retail innovation.

• Has appeared on TV shows, radio, festivals, and business events.

• Advocates authenticity, cultural pride, youth empowerment, and entrepreneurship.

• Serves as a role model particularly for young people from underrepresented backgrounds.

LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS from Levi Roots

1. Authenticity is a leader’s greatest asset.

“Peter Jones [from Dragons Den] said he never invested in the [Reggae, Reggae] sauce – he invested in me… It’s who you are that makes you investable.”

2. You can’t just be yourself. You must become the best version of yourself.

“Be you. But the key thing is to be the best of you. Because just being you is not good enough.”

3. Your past is a source of strength, not something to escape.

“I always have knowledge of my past [including a period spent in jail], and I think that’s really what helped me to become the person who I am.”

4. Hard work and resilience are inherited leadership tools.

“I recall seeing how hard my mum worked… sometimes three, four jobs at a time… I used what I learned from them, that stoicism, that hard work… to be able to help excel my own self.”

5. The importance of people can’t be exaggerated.

“Investors will always invest in people first… the product cannot sell itself.”

6. Leadership means recognising when your mission is bigger than you.

“I recognised that I wasn’t doing this for me only… I had a bigger job to do because this wasn’t just about me and my sauce. [I was representing a whole community.]”

7. Stand your ground respectfully. Confidence inspires confidence.

“Potential investors have got to trust the person who is in front of them.”

8. Entrepreneurs must go out and find business.

“Nobody has a right to a market. You have to go out and find your own market.”

9. Mentors can change the trajectory of a leader’s life.

“I was always looking for a mentor… and it was Teresa… She told me: never undermine who you are. Because I was different is why I was special.”

10 Purpose-driven leadership includes helping the next generation.

“Wherever there are young people… I feel it's my duty to get there, tell my story and try to inspire them.”

RELATED LINKS

Find out more about Levi Roots…

• On his own website LeviRoots.com

• On this BBC website headlining his recipes

• On the website PeterJones.com, from Dragons Den

If you enjoyed this episode of the NBS Business Leaders’ Podcast with Levi Roots listen to previous episodes with…

• Entrepreneur and CEO of global tech company Ideagen Ben Dorks

• Global Head of Emerging Talent at Rolls-Royce Ellie Long

• Award-winning social entrepreneur Dr Marcellus Baz BEM

• Co-founder of the Amazing if… company Sarah Ellis

• Celebrity baker and former banker Selasi Gbormittah

Levi Roots – The power of perseverance