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Reggae Reggae lies! Sauce millionaire Levi Roots admits 'I lied on Dragons' Den - it wasn't my grandmother's recipe'


MARLO STANSFIELD

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http://www.dailymail...ragons-Den.html

He became the most successful contestant on Dragons’ Den and a millionaire to boot.

But Reggae Reggae sauce proprietor Levi Roots has admitted he lied on the BBC show when he said the secret recipe was handed down by his grandmother.

The former reggae star, 53, also confessed that another claim – that the sauce had been the taste of the Notting Hill Carnival for 15 years – was a marketing ploy.

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His admissions came in the middle of a High Court case where his former partner has accused him of stealing the coveted recipe. Chef Tony Bailey, 52, claims it was his sauce the pair used when they ran a jerk chicken stall at the Notting Hill Carnival.

Mr Bailey and financial advisor Sylvester Williams are suing Mr Roots for more than £600,000 after they claim he cut them out of an agreement to launch the sauce together.

Mr Roots – real name Keith Valentine Graham – appeared on Dragons’ Den in 2007 and secured a £50,000 investment from entrepreneurs Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh.

Questioned about the sauce being his grandmother’s recipe, Mr Roots admitted that was untrue. He said: ‘I was trying to create the flavour my grandmother used to cook for me. How she used to do what she called relish.’

However, the former reggae star says he created the sauce from a basic recipe, and was trying to 'recreate' the flavour of his grandmother's original jerk chicken seasoning.

He also claimed that while the sauce wasn't sold at the Notting Hill Carnival, he and Mr Bailey sold jerk chicken and people came to their stall just to see Levi Roots himself.

Mr Roots claimed his story about his sauce being 'the taste of Notting Hill Carnival' was in reference to his reputation at the Caribbean street celebration.

Reading from the sauce label, Ian Glen QC, acting for the claimants, said: 'On the bottle of sauce, it says "Our family in Jamaica have been blending home-made jerk sauce since way back, and for years it's been the taste of London's Notting Hill Carnival." Is that true?'

Mr Roots replied: 'No, that's not true. It's a marketing ploy.

'When I was trying to market the sauce, I thought of every conceivable way that I was connected with music and the Notting Hill Carnival.

'I cooked all that in a bag together and tried my best to make a story about it.'

When Mr Glen asked about the claim that it was his grandmother's recipe, he admitted that this was also untrue.

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Mr Roots said: 'My way of trying to market the sauce when I started out was to put in all my experience with people in my life and my family.

'I was trying to create the flavour that my grandmother used to cook for me. How she used to do what she called relish.

'I was trying to recreate that flavour and that is the reason why my grandmother is on it. I thought it apt to put her legacy in there.'

Mr Glen also read from the transcript of Mr Roots' appearance on Dragons' Den, which convinced Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh to invest in the product.

He said: 'You were saying that you had been successfully selling Reggae Reggae sauce for 15 years, is that right?'

Mr Roots replied: 'It's my connection to Notting Hill Carnival was more what I was talking about. This was my marketing ploy.'

Mr Glen said: 'But the sauce didn't have a 15-year reputation?'

Mr Roots said: 'It's not about sauce, it's about Levi Roots. It [the carnival stall] was only popular because it was a Levi Roots stall.'

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He also admitted lying in his first cookbook by denying his gangland past.

But he said: 'I was desperately trying to tell my story in a cookbook, which was totally unrelated to what I was now, and I found it very difficult to tell the story.

'I wouldn't say it was a lie - I was trying to market myself at the time. I was trying to market myself as Levi Roots.'

He admitted having a business agreement with Mr Williams, but said it had been abandoned before his appearance on Dragons' Den.

Mr Roots added: 'Since Dragons' Den I realised what I have become to the public. It's become much more that just a sauce.

'The whole thing about Levi Roots has become so important, especially for black African Caribbean people.'

Mr Bailey and Mr Williams claim breach of confidence, over the sauce recipe, and breach of contract.

Mr Roots denies their claims and insists the pair have no rights in the sauce or the business.

The hearing continues.

mad ting.

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Guest petercrotch

See people never trust black people they are all liars especially the men

On a level do people think his ex partner deserves this p

Same can be said for all races to be honest .

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The sauce is shit my home made sauce>>>>

The only guys I know who eat r black guys with white partners it's an over compensation thing bet Justin has this in his cupboard

I lied on my cv glad I done it

All races lie but blacks and mexicans are the worse.

Where is detox where are all these mix tapes

Did an African nation win the wc b4 2000

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Guest PROFIT MARGINS

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Wow, chick is beyond sexy!

Jesus..

Hope ur joking her belly button is looking like a casem

/

This guy is a joker his name isn't even Levi it's like he went down Dalston and hijacked someone's persona...other guy looks way more authentic as well that is true yard atire

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The only mistake he made was trying to cut his partner out. This is the shittiest thing in business, and just brings bad blood.

people die over it from physical action or just pure bad mind.... u have an idea with someone, or its their idea..why cut man out?

its not like its 30 ppl, but just one person.

im surprised the breh is only sueing for £600k cos i would expect that the man is given half of all his profits so far and from now on.

now look at all the bad press being put out that he was suttin like a con man. kmt

Pay man his dues. apart from that it shouldnt have an effect on sales.... i saw reggae reggae drink in a carrib shop the other day

man is doing very well.........

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The sucess is down to the brand anyway not the sauce. he aint owed shit.

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