Levi Roots shot to fame after appearing on Dragon’s Den. He is now a successful entrepreneur in the food industry and has careers as a musician and radio presenter. While many people have heard of Levi Roots and his products, there are many things that people do not know about him. Here are some Levi Roots facts that you might find interesting to read.
Levi Roots Facts: His Childhood, Family, and Personal Life
Where Was Levi Roots Born?
Levi Roots was born in Clarendon, Jamaica, on 24 June 1958. His birth name is Keith Valentine Graham. Roots was raised by his grandparents, as his parents moved to the UK when he was four. He did not see his parents again until he moved to the UK to join them at the age of 11.
Is Levi Roots Married?
Levi Roots has never been married. However, he has had many serious relationships, some of which have resulted in children.
Does Levi Roots Have Children?
Yes, Levi Roots does have children. He has eight children from seven different mothers.
What Is Levi Roots’ Net Worth?
Due to the success of his sauce company, his other food products, and his restaurants, Levi Roots is now one of the richest celebrity chefs in the world. Levi Roots’ net worth is estimated at $45 million. He has also made some of his money from his work as a musician and as a radio presenter. Roots is wealthier than Guy Fieri but not as rich as Thomas Keller, Wolfgang Puck, or Alan Wong.
What Religion Is Levi Roots?
Levi Roots was raised as a Christian. However, when he was 18, he converted to the Rastafari faith.
He Didn’t Receive a Primary School Education
While living in Jamaica, Levi Roots’ brothers and sisters all received an education. As he was the youngest of the siblings and his parents left Jamaica when he was four, Roots did not receive a primary school education. He did not attend school until he moved to the UK when he was 11.
Facts About Levi Roots: His Career in the Food Industry
He Created the Reggae Reggae Sauce
Levi Roots is famous for creating Reggae Reggae Sauce, which is a jerk barbecue sauce. Initially, he was selling his sauces from stalls at various events. At the 2006 Notting Hill Carnival, he sold more than four thousand bottles of his sauce.
Levi Roots Appeared on Dragon’s Den
Roots was noticed by a BBC producer while he was selling his sauce at a food trade show. The producer encouraged him to appear on Dragon’s Den. In the 2007 episode, Roots asked for £50,000 for a 20% stake in his business. After some negotiations, Roots was offered £50,000 for a 40% stake that was split between two investors, Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh.
He Launched a Ready Meals Range
Following the success of his sauce range, Levi Roots launched a ready meal range in 2010.
Roots Has Owned Two Restaurants
In addition to running his sauce business, Levi Roots had two restaurants. The first was the Papine Jerk Centre, which was on the Winstanley Estate in Battersea. It opened in 2010 and provided a lunchtime service for a local school. The restaurant closed in 2012. In 2015, Levi Roots opened his second restaurant in Westfield Stratford City. It closed in 2019 during the Coronavirus pandemic.
He Authored Twos Cookbooks
One of the Levi Roots facts that some people do not know is that he has authored a cookbook. ‘Levi Roots’ Reggae Reggae Cookbook’ was published in 2008. It includes a foreword from Peter Jones, one of the Dragon’s Den investors. He then publishes ‘Caribbean Food Made Easy’ in 2009 to accompany his television series.
Roots Had His Own TV Series
In 2009, Levi Roots had his own television series called ‘Caribbean Food Made Easy’ on BBC2. He also released a cookbook to accompany the series.
Roots Also Appeared on ‘Ready, Steady, Cook’
Levi Roots appeared as a celebrity chef on the BBC series ‘Ready, Steady, Cook’ in 2008. He came in the second position as the episode was won by Lesley Waters.
His Music Career
He Has Performed with Many Famous Artists
Before becoming a success in the culinary world, Levi Roots was a successful musician. He performed with many famous people, including James Brown, Maxi Priest, and Bob Marley.
Roots was Nominated for a MOBO
One of the Levi Roots facts that many people do not know is that he was nominated for a MOBO Award for Best Reggae Act in 1998.
He Has Performed for Nelson Mandela
When Nelson Mandela visited Brixton, London, in 1996, Levi Roots was one of the acts that performed for the South African President. Roots sang ‘Happy Birthday, Mr President.’
Roots Released a Song About His Sauce
After the success of his Reggae Reggae Sauce, Levi Roots wrote a song to accompany the adverts. He then extended the song to raise money for Comic Relief. One of Roots’ daughters provided backing vocals for the song. Roots also performed this song on an episode of ‘TV Burp,’ which is presented by Harry Hill.
Other Levi Roots Facts
He Appeared on Celebrity Mastermind
In 2010, Levi Roots was one of the contestants on Celebrity Mastermind. Despite having a limited education, he earned 13 points and finished in the second position.
Roots Was a Contestant on Big Brother
Another television series in which Levi Roots has appeared is the celebrity version of Big Brother. During his time in the Big Brother house, he cooked a Caribbean barbecue for the other contestants.
He Has Had Two Acting Roles
Although most of his television appearances have been as himself, Levi Roots has also had two acting roles. His first acting role was in the 2011 urban comedy movie ‘Anuvahood.’ Next, he appeared in an episode of ‘Death in Paradise’ in 2018, when he played the role of Billy Springer.
Roots Has Served a Prison Sentence
Before he became rich and famous, Levi Roots served a prison sentence. His time in prison was the result of drugs offences.