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Inside the Factory

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Inside the Factory
GenreDocumentary
Presented byGregg Wallace
Cherry Healey
Ruth Goodman
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series6 original and 1 special
No. of episodes44 (as of 12 January 2021) including Specials (list of episodes)
Production
ProducerAmanda Lyon
Running time60 minutes
Production companyVoltage TV
Original release
NetworkBBC Two
Release5 May 2015 (2015-05-05) –
present

Inside the Factory is a British television series produced by Voltage TV for the BBC. The first episode was broadcast on BBC Two in May 2015. Each episode explores how a specific product is made inside a factory. The series is presented by Gregg Wallace, Cherry Healey and historian Ruth Goodman who provides a look at how products came to exist as we know them today.

Initially both Gregg and Cherry visited the factories together, but from the Christmas special of 2017 each of the three presenters was in separate locations, forming different segments of the programme.

Episodes

Series 1

Episode Title Original airdate Viewers (millions)
1 Bread 5 May 2015 2.35
Gregg and Cherry visit the Kingsmill factory in West Bromwich to learn the secrets of how they make bread. Cherry looks at how to make your bread last longer and Ruth shows what hidden items used to be found in bread.
2 Chocolate 6 May 2015 2.45
Gregg visits the Nestlé factory in York and Cherry visits the Thorntons factory in Derbyshire to learn the secrets of how they make chocolate. Ruth meets some people who used to work on the first chocolate production lines.
3 Milk 7 May 2015 2.54
Gregg and Cherry visit the Arla factory in Aylesbury to learn the secrets of how they process milk, Cherry also learns how Cheese is produced and visits Unilever Gloucester to learn how they make ice cream. Ruth investigates the history of milk.

Series 2

Episode Title Original airdate Viewers (millions)
1 Cereal 26 July 2016 2.43
Gregg and Cherry visit the Kellogg's factory in Manchester to learn the secrets of how they make cereal, specifically Crunchy Nut Corn Flakes. Cherry also visits the Weetabix factory, looks at how wheat is grown and how they add additional vitamins and minerals to cereals. Ruth looks at what people used to eat for breakfast before cereal was invented.
2 Crisps 2 August 2016 3.07
Gregg and Cherry visit the Walkers factory in Leicester to learn the secrets of how they make crisps, specifically Cheese and Onion. Cherry looks at what makes a perfect potato for making crisps and how your brain can be tricked into thinking you are eating something different. Ruth looks at who invented crisps.
3 Baked Beans 9 August 2016 2.77
Gregg and Cherry visit the H. J. Heinz, Wigan factory to learn the secrets of how they make baked beans. Cherry looks at how cans are recycled and Ruth looks at the history behind canned food.
4 Bicycles 16 August 2016 1.83
Gregg and Cherry visit the Brompton factory in West London to learn the secrets of how they make folding bicycles. Cherry gets tips from Team GB to improve her cycling speed and she also learns how bicycles are painted to cope with adverse weather. Ruth looks at important moments in history that used bicycles including the D-Day landings.
5 Sweets 23 August 2016 3.22
Gregg and Cherry visit the Swizzels Matlow factory in Derbyshire to learn the secrets of how they make different sweets. Cherry learns how they put writing into rock and how different nations have different tastes in sweets. Ruth investigates how sweets were first invented.
6 Shoes 30 August 2016 2.80
Gregg and Cherry visit the New Balance factory in Cumbria to learn the secrets of how they make trainers. Cherry looks at how leather is processed as well as how ballet shoes are produced. Ruth traces the origins of trainers, specifically to Reebok which was founded by J.W. Foster and Sons in Bolton, Lancashire.
Special Christmas 2016 20 December 2016 3.45
Gregg and Cherry visit the Mr Kipling factory in Barnsley to learn the secrets of how they make various Christmas treats like Mince pies and yule log. Cherry looks at how tinsel and wrapping paper are made, while Ruth looks at the history of Christmas crackers.

Series 3

Episode Title Original airdate Viewers (millions)
1 Tea bags 18 July 2017 2.45
Gregg and Cherry visit the Typhoo factory on the Wirral, Merseyside to learn the secrets of how they make their teabags. Cherry looks at the process of how the tea leaves first start out before being shipped off to the factories.[1]
2 Pasta 25 July 2017 2.52
Gregg and Cherry are at Barilla, the world's largest dried pasta factory in Parma, Italy, where they produce 150,000 kilometres of spaghetti each day.[2]
3 Biscuits 1 August 2017 2.77
Gregg and Cherry visit the McVitie's factory to look at the production of chocolate digestive biscuits. Cherry looks at the preparation of the chocolate and the creation of the bronze moulds used to make biscuits.[3]
Special Christmas 2017 18 December 2017 2.91
Gregg is at a cake factory in Oldham where they make two million Christmas cakes for Marks and Spencer. Cherry visits Britain's largest marzipan factory. Ruth investigates why Christmas tree lights are called fairy lights.[4]
4 Fish Fingers 2 January 2018 2.94
Gregg visits a Grimsby factory that makes 80,000 fish fingers daily. Cherry travels to Iceland where she follows fish through a processing factory. Ruth investigates the origins of cod fish fingers.[5]
5 Sauces 9 January 2018 2.70
Gregg visits a factory in the Netherlands that produces a quarter of a million tonnes of condiments per year. Cherry finds out how glass jars are made. Ruth investigates Britain's love of mayonnaise and tells the history of Worcestershire sauce.[6]
6 Soft Drinks 16 January 2018 3.10
Gregg is at the Ribena factory in Gloucestershire which produces three million bottles of the soft drink per week. Cherry discovers how berries are harvested and visits a plastic recycling plant that processes 2.5 million bottles per day. Ruth investigates the origins of fizzy drinks.[7]

Series 4

Episode Title Original airdate Viewers (millions)
1 Coffee 17 July 2018 2.48
Gregg visits the Nestlé Tutbury coffee factory in Derbyshire that produces 175,000 jars of instant coffee per day. Cherry is in the lab where she discovers the chemical composition of coffee. Ruth investigates the origins of instant coffee.[8]
2 Toilet Roll 24 July 2018 2.56
Gregg is at a factory in Manchester that makes 700,000 toilet rolls a day. He follows the raw material from Sweden where it is harvested from a sustainable forest. Cherry finds out how they churn out 1,000 toilets a day at Britains oldest toilet factory and sees how wastewater is treated at a plant in Brighton. Ruth discovers what items were used before the invention of toilet paper.[9]
3 Sausages 31 July 2018 2.82
Gregg is in North Yorkshire at a factory that makes 625,000 sausages a day. Cherry finds out the best way to cook your sausage. Ruth discovers how a German bratwurst created the hot dog.[10]
4 Curry 14 August 2018 3.19
Gregg visits a Nottinghamshire factory that makes 250,000 jars of curry sauce daily. Cherry heads to India to follow the harvestation of chillies on a farm. Ruth discovers the origins of curry in Britain may be as far back as 1747.[11]
Special Christmas 2018 17 December 2018 2.83
Gregg visits a factory which makes 2,000,000 tins of festive chocolates per year. Cherry finds out how Christmas ornaments are made and discovers how festive postage stamps are printed at the Royal Mail. Ruth uncovers the tradition of the Christmas turkey.[12]
6 Potato waffle 26 February 2019 2.85
Gregg is in Lowestoft at a frozen food factory where they produce one million potato waffles a day. Cherry learns about the different types of potatoes. Ruth finds out how the potato was popularised and meets one of the inventors of the potato waffle.[13]
7 Pizza 5 March 2019 2.51
Gregg visits Italy where they make 400,000 frozen pizzas a day. Cherry discovers that not all cheeses are equal and which work best on pizza. Ruth finds out the history of freezer transport.[14]
8 Beer 12 March 2019 2.48
Gregg follows the production at Britain's biggest brewery where they make 3,000,000 pints of beer a day. Cherry finds out how basic ingredients can make a wide variety of beers. Ruth discovers why Burton upon Trent became the heart of brewing in Britain in the 1800s.[15]
9 Pencils 19 March 2019 2.54
Gregg is at the Faber-Castell factory in Stein, Bavaria, which makes 600,000 pencils a day. Cherry uncovers the properties of graphite - the main material that makes up a pencil. Ruth tells of the earliest pencils used in Britain.[16]
10 Cheese 26 March 2019 2.62
Gregg visits the Primula cheese factory in Gateshead which makes 3,000 tonnes of spreadable cheese each year. Cherry discovers what determines the smell, taste and appearance of different types of cheese. Ruth finds out how cheddar became the most popular hard cheese worldwide.[17]

Series 5

Episode Title Original airdate Viewers (millions)
1 Cherry Bakewells 30 July 2019 3.04
Gregg is in Stoke at a factory that produces 250,000 cherry bakewells every day. Cherry finds out how to avoid a soggy bottom when baking tarts and pies at home. Ruth discovers the origins of frangipane - one of the cherry bakewell's key ingredients.
2 Wax Jacket 6 August 2019 3.03
Gregg visits South Shields at a factory where they make 650 waxed jackets per day. Cherry discovers how they make waterproof-breathable fabrics that keep the rain out while preventing sweat. Ruth finds out how seamen contributed to the origins of waxed jackets.
3 Croissants 13 August 2019 2.98
Gregg is at a factory in France where they make 336,000 croissants every day. Cherry discovers the best way to eat a croissant. Ruth travels outside of France to find the origin of the croissant.
4 Mattresses 20 August 2019 2.89
Gregg is in Beeston, Leeds at the Harrison Spinks factory that produces 600 mattresses per day. Cherry finds out if having an afternoon nap is better than drinking coffee. Ruth discovers the materials people slept on in the Middle Ages, how steel transformed the mattress and finds the origin of the duvet.
Special Xmas Party Food 12 December 2019 2.54
Gregg Wallace is in Nottingham at an enormous party food factory where they produce 200,000 canapes every 24 hours.
6 Pasties 7 April 2020 TBA
Gregg Wallace is in Cornwall at an enormous bakery where they produce 180,000 pasties a day.
7 Pots and Pans 14 April 2020 TBA
Gregg Wallace is in France at an enormous foundry that produces a cast iron pot every five seconds.
8 Soup 21 April 2020 TBA
Gregg Wallace is at an enormous soup factory at H. J. Heinz, Wigan, where they produce more than two million tins a day.
9 Liqueurs 28 April 2020 TBA
Gregg Wallace is in Ireland at an enormous liqueurs factory, where they produce 540,000 bottles a day.
10 Cereal Bars 5 May 2020 3.04
Gregg Wallace is in Essex at an enormous cereal bar factory, which produces 400,000 fruit- and nut-packed treats a day. Gregg follows the production from the arrival of two tonnes of macadamia nuts all the way through to dispatch, while Cherry travels to Africa to find out how Macadamia nuts are harvested.

"Keeping Britain Going"

Episode Title Original airdate Viewers (millions)
1 Toilet Roll Update 25 May 2020 TBC
As many UK factories face unprecedented demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Gregg Wallace catches up with some of the factory workers who are toiling around the clock to make sure our cupboards are stocked.
2 Baked Beans Update 1 June 2020 TBC
As many UK factories face unprecedented demand, Gregg Wallace catches up with the baked beans factory producing 15 million tins in a week.
3 Crisps Update 23 July 2020 TBC
As many UK factories face unprecedented demand, Gregg Wallace catches up with some of the factory workers who are toiling around the clock to make sure our cupboards are stocked. TBC
4 Tea Update 30 July 2020 TBC
Gregg reconnects with the Typhoo Tea factory in the Wirral. The coronavirus crisis caused tea bag sales to soar, and the tea factory has upped production to produce 109 million tea bags in a week.
5 Biscuits Update 6 Aug 2020 TBC
Gregg Wallace reconnects with the McVitie's factory in Harlesden, London, who sold an astonishing 12.5 million packets in just two months during the coronavirus crisis.

Series 6

Episode Title Original airdate Viewers (millions)
1 Cider 27 December 2020 TBA
Gregg visits the Bulmers factory in Herefordshire to learn the secrets of how they make their cider. Cherry visits an orchard growing a sweet apple variety called Scrumptious. Ruth goes in search of who first put bubbles in a bottle.[18]
2 Socks 5 January 2021 TBA
Gregg visits the Pantherella sock factory in Leicester that produces one and a half million socks annually. Ruth delves into the history of socks in the late twentieth century. Cherry investigates whether certain sock materials cause smelly feet. Ruth looks at sock design during World War I. Cherry learns about a new environmentally friendly way of growing cotton.[19]
3 Yoghurt 12 January 2021 TBA
Gregg visits the Yeo Valley factory in rural Somerset, that produces 125,000 tonnes of yogurt every year. Cherry tests plant-based milk alternatives. Ruth learns about the history of the first electric milk float. Cherry travels to Herefordshire to help with the UK's biggest blackcurrant harvest. Ruth investigates the origins of Cream tea.[20]
4 Malt Loaf 5 January 2022 TBA
Gregg Wallace visits the largest malt loaf factory in the world, encountering a production line of massive dough mixing, mind-boggling tin filling and intensely hot baking.[21]
5 Chairs 12 January 2022 TBA
Gregg Wallace visits the Ercol factory in Buckinghamshire to follow the production of a Windsor chair. Meanwhile, Cherry Healey investigates how sitting too much could be very bad for our health.[22]
6 Leather Boots 19 January 2022 TBA
Gregg Wallace visits a boot factory in Wollaston, Northamptonshire to follow the production of a pair of Dr. Martens, while Cherry Healey gets to grips with the machines that make shoelaces.[23]
7 Tortilla Chips 26 January 2022 TBA
Gregg Wallace visits the biggest tortilla factory in Europe, while Cherry Healey takes on the hottest chilli in the world and Ruth Goodman reveals how the Elizabethans treated their ruff collars.[24]
8 Mugs 2 February 2022 TBA
Gregg visits the Denby factory in Derbyshire. Brits drink 195 million mugs of tea and coffee every day, so Gregg is following production of one of the factory’s best sellers, the Halo Heritage mug.[25]
9 Ice Cream 9 February 2022 TBA
Gregg visits a family-run factory in the heart of rural Aberdeenshire, which churns out more than 49 tonnes of dairy ice cream every day. Cherry tests the best methods of stopping brain freeze and goes in search of a non-drip ice lolly. Ruth hops on board an ice cream van to find out how soft whip became a favourite on Britain’s streets.[26]
10 Vacuums 16 February 2022 TBA
Gregg visits a huge vacuum cleaner factory in the heart of Somerset.[27]

Series 7

Episode Title Original airdate Viewers (millions)
Special Christmas Cards 22 December 2021 TBC
Gregg visits the Woodmansterne card factory in Watford, one of the largest greeting card companies in the UK. Cherry visits a Teddy bear factory to see how they are made. Ruth looks into how the Victorians celebrated Christmas. Cherry cooks a plant-based vegan Christmas dinner. Ruth delves into the events of 1647 which led to Christmas being banned for 12 years.[28]
1 Diggers (XL) 28 December 2021 TBC
Gregg visits the JCB factory in Rocester, Staffordshire that makes their iconic diggers. Ruth looks into the history of hydraulics. Cherry travels to Hertfordshire to sees how diggers help in the construction of a new road.[29]
Trains (XL) 1 August 2022 TBC
Gregg Wallace accesses huge factories that use extraordinary engineering processes to make our most iconic vehicle.[30]

Re-edited and Syndicated versions

Netherlands

In the Netherlands, some[quantify] episodes have been re-edited together, cutting out the presenters, to produce a series called Binnen in de Fabriek which has been broadcast by RTL.

United States

In the US, the Smithsonian Channel shows a re-edited version of the show, still presented by Gregg Wallace, called Inside the Food Factory, which has also been broadcast on Smithsonian's British Freeview channel.[31]

These episodes are available on the smithsonianchannel.com website.

References

  1. ^ "Tea Bags, Series 3, Inside the Factory - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Pasta, Series 3, Inside the Factory - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  3. ^ "Biscuits, Series 3, Inside the Factory - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Christmas 2017, Inside the Factory - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Fish Fingers, Series 3, Inside the Factory - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  6. ^ "Sauces, Series 3, Inside the Factory - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  7. ^ "Soft Drinks, Series 3, Inside the Factory - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  8. ^ "Coffee, Series 4, Inside the Factory - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  9. ^ "Toilet Roll, Series 4, Inside the Factory - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  10. ^ "Sausages, Series 4, Inside the Factory - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  11. ^ "Curry, Series 4, Inside the Factory - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  12. ^ "Christmas 2018". Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  13. ^ "Potato Waffles". Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  14. ^ "Pizza". Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  15. ^ "Beer". Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  16. ^ "Pencils". Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  17. ^ "Cheese". Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  18. ^ "Cider". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  19. ^ "Socks". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  20. ^ "Yogurt". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  21. ^ "Malt Loaf". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  22. ^ "Chairs". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  23. ^ "Leather Boots". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  24. ^ "Tortilla Chips". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  25. ^ "Mugs". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  26. ^ "Ice Cream". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  27. ^ "Vacuums". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  28. ^ "Christmas Cards". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  29. ^ "Diggers". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  30. ^ "Trains". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  31. ^ “Inside the Food Factory”. Smithsonian. Retrieved 20 July 2021
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