Levi Roots won investment for Reggae Reggae Sauce in his famous 2007 Dragons' Den pitch. The Jamaican-British musician and entrepreneur presented his jerk barbecue sauce and secured a deal associated with Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh.
Roots, whose real name is Keith Valentine Graham, had sold sauce at markets and festivals before appearing on television. The pitch combined a distinctive brand, a memorable presentation and a product rooted in Jamaican culinary tradition. Its success helped turn a small food venture into a widely recognised retail brand.
The Dragons' Den deal is often remembered as a standout example of television exposure accelerating a consumer product. The exact ownership arrangements later evolved as the business developed, so the safe historical point is the 2007 pitch and the investment agreement reached in the den.