He calls it reggae reggae sauce
From the Notting Hill Carnival to the shelves of supermarket giant Sainsburys, via the Mobo awards and the Dragons’ Den. What a life path for Levi Roots, singer, songwriter and chef!
Since its first season, I’ve been watching Dragon’s Den with amusement. Occasionally, it’s been amusement at the poor preparation on the part of those pitching to the potential investors, having no idea what their profits have been for the past few years. Other times, I couldn’t help shaking my head at what seemed to be some missed opportunities for the Dragons.
In the first season, I had a bit of an issue with Rachel Elnaugh, who I consider to be a disgrace to businesswomen everywhere. Aside from that, however, the Dragons were fairly nice, gave constructive advice to the needy ones and acknowledged a good business opportunity, even if they weren’t ready to invest in it.
Now, it’s a different story. Sometimes I love it, sometimes I can’t stand it. First, there’s the annoyingly obvious show pattern; first pitch almost gets it, second gets annihilated, third gets the money. And second, the Dragons are just a bit on the wrong side of cocky. Yes, you’re a big shot, but you were once the little guy making mistakes too.
I’ve always thought that it’s a shame that there isn’t a more technology-savvy Dragon on the panel, since a few good techy business opportunities have been turned down. Anyone noticed the Verballs getting a short in-passing mention as someone who didn’t make it? Somehow, the Verballs don’t strike me as a failed business. Selling at £29.95 (or as little as £14.95 at the moment!!), I’ve heard even some of my less techy friends say they’ve used it to get into VoiP, and they seem to constantly be on the Firebox.com homepage and newsletter!
Put some music in your food…
Right, I’m getting off topic with the Dragons here. I really wanted to talk about Levi’s fascinating story. When he came up the steps in the Den, I thought there was no chance in hell someone could sway the investors with a song. But somehow, he managed to get his investment and charm the Dragons!
Levi turned out to be a genuinely nice guy, with a great product and a great story. The Jamaican jerk sauce is a family recipe which he makes in his own kitchen. Unlike a lot of other bottled sauces out there, it only has a life of 5 days after opening, but this is because it’s free from preservatives. Look at the label, and read the ingredients in his “secret recipe” - You’ll actually know what each one of them is, and you won’t see any E numbers or complicated chemical names. It’s fresh and real, just like the man and the story.
We tried the sauce last night with some chicken thighs and it was mouth-wateringly tasty! I bought a pack of large chicken thighs and cooked them in the oven with the Reggae Reggae Sauce, served with homemade cajun potato wedges and a tall glass of golden rum & coke.
Even the label has been wisely created. It’s simple, and still has this homemade feel to it. It makes us feel like we’re supporting the underdog, the little guy, the boutique-style product, even when bought from the supermarket, because the brand supports the story of 15 years of selling during the Notting Hill Carnival, and accompanied with a surprisingly catchy song.
If the Reggae Reggae Sauce stays in the shelves at Sainsburys until the BBQ season begins, Levi will have made himself a place in the diets and hearts of Britain. Good luck Levi, and wise choice Peter!
Little bonus: video diary from Evan Davis for those interested. “Debra, can you eat the banana in a really suggestive way?” Erk!
[Note: Sorry if anyone’s got a muddled feed with multiple versions of this entry… I lost part of the post through sheer clumsiness and had to rewrite it from memory.]