JAMAICA/UK millionaire Levi Roots indicated that his branded store in Devon House Kingston will open in November and will appeal to locals and foreigners.

“We chose Devon House, a cultural symbol of Jamaica’s diversity which is patronised by both local and foreign shoppers,” said Roots in a media release on Monday.

The Business Observer announced in September that Roots would open his branded store as part of the local expansion of his European sauces and juice empire.

Roots forms part of the Diaspora profiting from the Jamaica culture. Jamaica exported US$14.5 million ($1.5 billion) in sauces during 2012 or 16 per cent higher year on year — according to the latest Economic and Social Survey Jamaica. That amount actually beat export earnings in coffee, ackee, non-alcoholic drinks and baked products.

Special Advisor to the Prime Minister, Ambassador Burchell Whiteman, will officially open the store with Roots and guests.

Devon House, a tour stop for tourists and locals alike, holds roughly one dozen stores within its main courtyard. Roots secured Shop 5.

In 2011, Roots signed with local distributor Outrigger and partnered with the Progressive Group’s supermarket chains to sell his sauces and drinks in Jamaica. Roots, at that time, whilst announcing the distribution deal at a press conference at Devon House, told this reporter that his Reggae Reggae brands were valued at £30 million.

Six years ago, Levi Roots, then a struggling musician, successfully won a reality TV series on the BBC called Dragons’ Den. In the show he famously sang about the virtues of his Reggae Reggae Sauce.

Subsequently Roots, in exchange for a 40 per cent stake in his business, secured the support of millionaire ‘Dragons’, Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh for £50,000. Peter Jones helped to get the sauce listed by Sainsbury’s supermarket. The brand grew in 2011 when Roots signed a licensing arrangement with Nichols in the UK to manufacture the Reggae Reggae line of beverages.