JAMAICAN-BORN British entrepreneur Levi Roots is bringing his Reggae Reggae brand of foods to the Jamaican shelves in August.

Born Keith Graham in Clarendon, Levi migrated to England at the age of 12, and four decades later, his brand of sauces is now one of the most recognisable in the United Kingdom (UK). The chef and musician says he learned to make jerk sauce from his grandmother in the village of Content, and the product is now making its way back to Jamaica.

“If you want to be a true entrepreneur, start with a plan,” Levi said.

He was speaking in an interview at the biennial Jamaican Diaspora Convention 2011 at the Sunset Jamaica Grande Hotel in Ocho Rios, St Ann on Friday last month.

Levi’s planning started in 2005, when he decided to use his talents as a musician to promote the sauce he perfected for distribution at the Notting Hill Carnival in London. Two years later, he succeeded in getting investment and technical advice for his business, through singing a song about his product on the Dragons Den entrepreneurship programme on BBC television.

“The Dragons did not invest in the sauce,” he declared. “They invested

in me.”

He and his new partners developed a five-year plan to make the Reggae Reggae brand, “the biggest Caribbean brand in the UK”, he said. Four years later, it has become a successful mainstream UK brand which has expanded well beyond the original jerk sauce to include a range of condiments as well as the Levi Roots drinks.

“We are still a UK brand, but the future is about extending that,” he said. “We are looking forward to our launch here in Jamaica in August, and then North America and Africa and the rest of the world.”

Establishing a recognisable and positive image in the minds of shoppers is an important element in a brand’s success. Levi pointed out that his music and his Rasta identity had become integrally tied to the brand’s appeal.

“Success is about being yourself,” he said, noting that that is because people will respond to authenticity, and so he made a point of displaying his religion and Jamaican culture, rather than downplaying them.

Asked what advice he would give to someone starting a business, Levi said, “choose one that inspires you as at the outset. When things are going bad, you will need that inspiration.”

“The other advice is to get yourself a mentor,” he added. “We all need someone who knows more than us.”