1 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:06,160 There you go. Enjoy. 2 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:07,280 Thank you! 3 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:10,560 - Ooh! - There we are. 4 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:13,200 - Yummy. - Sausage, chips and beans. 5 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:14,560 That is champion. 6 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:16,200 - Cheers. - Cheers. 7 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:18,760 - Mmm. - The oven chip. 8 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:21,280 How easy is life with these? 9 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:23,120 I don't want to parent without them. 10 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:24,680 Absolutely. 11 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:27,600 The thing is, though, it's not going to be a very long episode, is it? 12 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:30,360 Potatoes. Chop 'em up. Done. 13 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:32,680 It's possible there's a bit more to it, Paddy. 14 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:37,120 Every year in the UK, 15 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:41,520 we get through an astonishing 280,000 tonnes 16 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:43,360 of frozen chips at home. 17 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:46,840 As a nation, we love them so much 18 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:50,240 that we need massive factories like this to keep up with demand. 19 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:52,000 - Should we get our hair nets on? - Let's do it. 20 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:57,800 Hello? Paddy McGuinness here. 21 00:00:57,800 --> 00:00:58,920 This time... 22 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:02,400 Let me squeeze in there so the people at home can see me. 23 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:05,920 ..I'm discovering the mind-blowing technology... 24 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:09,000 That is a modern way of peeling a spud! 25 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:11,240 ..that's responsible for making miles 26 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:13,320 and miles of frozen chips. 27 00:01:13,320 --> 00:01:16,800 My word, it's just chips as far as the eye can see! 28 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:18,600 I'm in Northern Heaven here! 29 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:23,840 And I'm delving into the science 30 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:26,240 behind one of our favourite condiments. 31 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:28,720 To the bacteria! 32 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:32,920 Phwoar! That will blow your socks off! 33 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:37,720 And our resident historian, Ruth Goodman... 34 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:39,840 - Lovely. Cheers. - You're welcome. 35 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:43,840 ..serves up the story of our favourite fried fish... 36 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:47,360 They were processing about 20,000 tonnes of fish. 37 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:48,720 Good grief! 38 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:50,000 ..and chips... 39 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,240 When did they come together? 40 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:54,040 ..became a national dish. 41 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:59,000 This factory peels, slices and fries 42 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:02,600 over 80 million chips every single day. 43 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:05,160 - 80 million? - 80 million! 44 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:07,120 - That's a lot. - It's a lot of chips. 45 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:09,160 Welcome to Inside the Factory. 46 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:42,440 This is the McCain factory near Scarborough 47 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:46,600 and they've been making chips here since the 1960s. 48 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:50,040 Look at that. It's like a savoury version of Tipping Point! 49 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:56,440 Top of the world, Ma! 50 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,720 They make all sorts of spud-based delights here. 51 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:07,200 Not often you see a robot playing chess with potatoes, is it? 52 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:12,000 From skinny French fries... 53 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,240 Chip Nirvana! 54 00:03:15,640 --> 00:03:17,400 ..to chunky chips. 55 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:21,600 They do jacket potatoes here as well! 56 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:23,240 What you whack in the microwave. 57 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:24,480 Very nice. 58 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:29,520 But I'm looking for a classic family favourite. 59 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:33,360 Today, I'm following production of their bestseller - 60 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:36,600 the straight-cut frozen Home Chips. 61 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:38,040 Lovely stuff! 62 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:44,520 Now, there's no prizes for guessing 63 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:46,720 the main ingredients for chips is... 64 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:48,040 ..potatoes. 65 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:56,000 And, bang-on cue, is a lorry packed with 28 tonnes of them. 66 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:00,720 Operations manager Mike Hartnett... 67 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:02,000 Whoa! 68 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:03,400 ..is in charge. 69 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:07,360 - Morning, Mike. - Morning, Paddy. 70 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:09,280 Pal, are you OK? Let me squeeze in there 71 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:10,920 so the people at home can see me. 72 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:13,720 - Spuds. - Spuds. 73 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:15,680 This is where it starts, Mike. 74 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:18,320 So, we've got a lorry-load of Daisy potatoes 75 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:19,560 from the West Midlands, 76 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:23,000 one of our 250 growers from the UK that supply into us. 77 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:25,680 I don't know why I thought they'd be, like, a Maris Piper. 78 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:28,120 I've never heard of Daisy potatoes. 79 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:30,800 Why Daisy? What is it about the Daisy potato 80 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:33,000 that makes a really good chip? 81 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:36,280 Daisy just process the best way possible 82 00:04:36,280 --> 00:04:38,480 to make the chip that we're looking for today. 83 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:40,480 How many Daisies are on there, then? 84 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:44,000 This lorry will make 1.7 million chips. 85 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:47,160 And how many of those wagons come a day? 86 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:50,000 So, we get between 60 and 70 a day. 87 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:52,760 Yep. 88 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:56,240 Staggering! 89 00:04:56,240 --> 00:05:00,400 These farms must be absolutely constantly churning them up, 90 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:02,520 - sending them in? - Yep, it is constantly, mate. 91 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:04,240 It's one of our busiest times of year as well. 92 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:05,760 We're currently straight off the field. 93 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:08,440 - So, straight from the farmer's field? - Yep. 94 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:13,320 From loading these potatoes to being put in the bag, frozen, 95 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:15,080 how long's that process? 96 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:16,640 In two hours' time, 97 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:19,520 they'll be in a fresh bag of chips. 98 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:20,720 Two hours?! 99 00:05:21,840 --> 00:05:23,040 Better get 'em on. 100 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:24,280 Let's get 'em on. 101 00:05:24,280 --> 00:05:26,000 So, if you want to press that green button there, 102 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:27,480 then we'll start unloading. 103 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:35,720 {\an8}As the clock starts on this super-speedy process... 104 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:40,200 ..the spuds are unloaded with a clever conveyor belt 105 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:42,920 that runs right along the bottom of the lorry, 106 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:45,640 gently carrying them into the factory. 107 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:49,800 Go on, you little Daisies! 108 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:55,000 Got to be careful, though. You don't want to bruise them, do you? 109 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:58,160 We have got to treat potatoes very carefully. 110 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:00,000 We look, within the factory, of not having 111 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:03,400 anything more than a 30cm drop for that exact reason. 112 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:04,800 Nobody wants a bruised chip. 113 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:07,480 Nobody wants a bruised spud. 114 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:09,320 To me, 115 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:12,400 it feels like a really simple, quick process. 116 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:15,760 Potatoes, chop 'em up, out they go. 117 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:17,320 It's certainly a quick process. 118 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:19,000 There is a little bit more to it. 119 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:20,280 You'll see that later on. 120 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:23,280 Well, if you say so, Mike. 121 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:26,760 But if this lot's going to be chipped 122 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:29,480 and frozen in just two hours, 123 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:32,040 surely it can't be that complicated? 124 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:38,280 I still can't get me head round 125 00:06:38,280 --> 00:06:40,080 the amount of potatoes 126 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:43,160 that go through this place every single day. 127 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:44,760 The mind boggles, really. 128 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:47,720 So I've sent Cherry Healey off to a farm 129 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:51,760 that supplies this actual factory to get involved with the harvest. 130 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:03,440 This farm in the West Midlands provides the factory 131 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:07,040 with almost 9,000 tonnes of spuds every year. 132 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:12,480 In charge is fourth-generation potato farmer 133 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:14,440 Nigel Adams. 134 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:16,360 - Nigel, lovely to meet you! - Morning, Cherry. 135 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:18,600 - How are you? - Oh! - My hands are dirty. Sorry. 136 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:20,560 I'll swerve that one. 137 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:22,800 And the harvest for Paddy's potatoes 138 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:25,400 is already in full swing. 139 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:27,880 So, why is Daisy so good for chips? 140 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:29,480 It's quite a durable variety. 141 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:31,200 It can handle various different conditions. 142 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:32,840 It's a lovely shaped potato 143 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:36,560 and it can produce that nice, round, long, perfect potato. 144 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:39,240 So, they're going to make that into lovely long chips 145 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:40,560 once it goes into the factory. 146 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:42,200 So Daisy is low-maintenance, 147 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:43,640 she's not a fussbag, 148 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:45,920 - perfect shape, cracking chips. - Spot-on. 149 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:47,040 Very good, yes. 150 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:53,320 This hardy crop was planted just four months ago 151 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:55,640 using potatoes, or tubers, 152 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:58,360 from the previous year's harvest as seeds. 153 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:02,720 If I could just show you over here. 154 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:04,440 When we planted the potato, 155 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:06,400 we actually put this mother tuber - that we call - 156 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:08,960 - into the ground. - A "mother tuber"? - Mother tuber, yeah. 157 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:12,000 So she's sort of, like, gone from the solid potato, 158 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:15,680 she's used all her energy to produce these roots and leaves 159 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:18,520 and then the soil and the sunshine feeds it. 160 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:20,560 And so, she produces her little babies. 161 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:21,800 Oh, look! Look! 162 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:25,800 That's incredible. So she's produced 15, 20 new potatoes? 163 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:27,160 Yeah. Yeah. 164 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:30,040 Once planted, they take 16 weeks to grow. 165 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:33,320 So, these are little babies that have grown into big babies. 166 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:34,640 Yeah, they're big babies, aren't they? 167 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:36,200 - They are. - Look at that. - So, the perfect size, 168 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:37,440 perfect shape. 169 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:42,200 A whopping 750 trailer-loads of spuds 170 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:46,440 are harvested here between July and October every year... 171 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:48,560 Come on. Enough chat. Let's get on and do some work, 172 00:08:48,560 --> 00:08:50,480 - some harvesting, please. - All right. 173 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:53,440 ..so they need some serious kit. 174 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:58,000 OK, so this is the beast that harvests. This is Daisy. 175 00:08:58,000 --> 00:08:59,360 Look at her. She's a monster. 176 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:01,720 All right. So we'll fire her up. 177 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:03,280 - Oh, there she goes! - Yeah, we're off! 178 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:10,000 The harvester uses a blade to dig into the soil, 179 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:13,840 scooping up around 35 tonnes of potatoes an hour. 180 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:17,680 Then the spud is separated from the mud 181 00:09:17,680 --> 00:09:19,320 using a mesh conveyor. 182 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:23,560 So, before these huge machines were invented, 183 00:09:23,560 --> 00:09:25,680 how did they used to harvest potatoes? 184 00:09:25,680 --> 00:09:28,800 So, I remember coming to a field, seeing my grandad harvest them - 185 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:31,440 and he had his spade, and they used to literally loosen the soil, 186 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:32,520 pick them up by hand, 187 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:35,000 put them into buckets and then into the trailer. 188 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:37,360 So you used to harvest potatoes when you were a kid? 189 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:40,560 - Yeah, yeah. - What you don't know about potatoes isn't worth knowing. 190 00:09:40,560 --> 00:09:42,480 Mmm, yeah. Maybe. 191 00:09:40,560 --> 00:09:42,480 LAUGHTER 192 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:52,480 - We're actually nearly full now. - We are nearly full. 193 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:54,360 - Look, they're mounding up! - They are, yeah. 194 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:57,160 Lots of potatoes, all ready to go to the chip factory. 195 00:09:57,160 --> 00:10:00,120 The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky 196 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:05,720 Transferring the spuds from the harvester 197 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:08,480 is a carefully choreographed operation. 198 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:16,160 This is like a piece of ballet. 199 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:18,800 This is amazing. 200 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:24,840 The harvester and tractor must move in perfect unison... 201 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:30,000 ..travelling in tandem 202 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:33,040 as the crop is gently dropped into the trailer. 203 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:38,760 But the performance isn't over yet. 204 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:46,080 Every potato must travel through another monster machine. 205 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:49,040 - It's quite the set-up, isn't it? - It is, yeah. It's impressive. 206 00:10:50,680 --> 00:10:52,720 As the spuds trundle through, 207 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:55,120 this optical sorter removes rocks 208 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:57,040 and any imperfect potatoes. 209 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:02,480 How does that machine tell between a rock and a potato? 210 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:05,400 Five cameras that's looking at every individual potato 211 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:06,800 as they go through the machine 212 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:08,960 and it's saying, "You're a good one. You're a bad one." 213 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:12,000 And what's a "good" potato and what's a "bad" potato? 214 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:14,320 You get the odd one that has a bit of green on it or something. 215 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:16,120 What's a green potato? 216 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:18,880 The soil that we have over them gets washed away a little bit, 217 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:20,600 lets a little bit of sunlight in, 218 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:23,000 and it's like a little bit of a sunburn on it. 219 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:24,640 OK, so it's pretty harmless, 220 00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:26,960 but we don't want that going into the factory. 221 00:11:28,680 --> 00:11:31,560 Potatoes with green marks are edible 222 00:11:31,560 --> 00:11:33,640 but here they go to animal feed. 223 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:38,000 Meanwhile, the spuds for the chip factory are being loaded 224 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:40,160 and I want to inspect the goods. 225 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:44,720 Right, so where is this perfect potato? 226 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:47,520 Here. This has had the right amount of sunlight, 227 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:50,480 - the right amount of rain. - And will that make the perfect chip? 228 00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:52,720 I reckon so, when it goes to the factory, yes. 229 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:56,000 Well, as the potato expert, I can't argue with that. 230 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:57,480 - Perfect. - Can I have this? 231 00:11:57,480 --> 00:11:58,880 - Of course you can. - Thank you. 232 00:11:58,880 --> 00:12:02,120 - You got a pocket? - Yeah, got a potato pocket right here. 233 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:05,000 Potato pocket? Very fancy! 234 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:06,200 Thank you. 235 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:07,880 Not for me. I'm old school. 236 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:11,640 237 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:13,560 238 00:12:13,560 --> 00:12:15,680 239 00:12:15,680 --> 00:12:18,240 Anyhow, potato pockets aside, 240 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:20,800 just look at the size of this place! 241 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:22,840 242 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:28,400 This factory is spread across 50,000 square metres, 243 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:30,240 with ten enormous buildings - 244 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:32,720 and most of them chocker with chips. 245 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:39,320 But first, me and my batch of spuds 246 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:41,400 are heading to the receiving area. 247 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:46,400 Fresh from the farm, 248 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:49,560 28 tonnes of them are rolling along conveyors... 249 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:55,440 ..and into one of 14 huge storage containers. 250 00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:00,160 But, before they can be made into chips, 251 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:02,560 every single load coming into the factory 252 00:13:02,560 --> 00:13:05,040 is put through some rigorous tests. 253 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:11,360 Oh-ho-ho! 254 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:16,800 So, Paddy, this is where we sample our potatoes. 255 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:18,680 So this is the first part of the process 256 00:13:18,680 --> 00:13:20,720 where you said it's not quite as simple? 257 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:22,400 - Exactly, yeah. - Right, OK. 258 00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:25,000 So what are we doing in here exactly, Mike? 259 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:27,560 So, every lorry that we get of potatoes, 260 00:13:27,560 --> 00:13:30,440 we will bring a sample into this lab 261 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:34,120 and then we will test for things like natural blemishes 262 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:36,520 and we will also check for any levels 263 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:39,240 of naturally occurring sugar that come in the potatoes. 264 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:41,000 Where did the sugar come into it? 265 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:44,000 So, the sugar is made up within the starch, in glucose. 266 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:45,400 That's where the sugar comes from. 267 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:47,840 - Right, OK. - So it's naturally occurring within the potato. 268 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:49,120 Am I right in thinking... 269 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:53,720 Are potatoes just predominantly water and starch? 270 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:55,040 That's exactly right, yeah. 271 00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:57,680 So, a potato generally is 20% solid, 272 00:13:57,680 --> 00:14:00,240 - which is starch, 80% water. - Yeah. 273 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:04,800 The higher the sugar or starch content in the spud, 274 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:07,240 the browner the finished chip will be. 275 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:11,000 So the levels are carefully checked by technical operator 276 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:13,520 and chief test fryer Sarah Thompson. 277 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:18,440 - Are you all right, Sarah? - I'm good, thanks. Are you, Paddy? 278 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:21,240 Yeah, I'm good, ta. How many chips are there? 279 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:22,480 There's 18 there. 280 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:26,560 18. So that's usually what you get out of one potato. 281 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:29,440 No, this is 18 separate potatoes. 282 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:35,000 - You've took one chip out of one potato? - We have. 283 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:36,440 My days! 284 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:38,480 So we do that so we can get a good idea 285 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:40,120 of the colour of that complete load - 286 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:42,280 not just one potato. 287 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:44,000 Why are we frying it? 288 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:46,720 That will indicate the level of naturally occurring sugar 289 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:48,040 that we have. 290 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:51,520 In they go. 291 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:53,040 - Oh, I love that noise. - Yep. 292 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:53,040 CHIPS FIZZ 293 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:57,440 Oh, that's fancy! 294 00:14:57,440 --> 00:15:00,160 It automatically lowers for a more standardised process, 295 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:02,840 so we know that every sample is the same. 296 00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:05,680 These are all those things that I never thought about. 297 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:09,000 After 90 seconds in the oil, 298 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:11,520 if the test batch comes out pale in colour... 299 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:14,720 - These are looking a little bit anaemic at the minute. - Yeah. 300 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:17,960 ..it means that the starch levels are in the correct range... 301 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:22,320 They are on the paler end, which is a good thing. 302 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:24,560 ..and the colour of the fully-cooked chip 303 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:26,600 will be perfectly golden. 304 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:29,000 But even these pale ones must be checked 305 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:30,400 against a colour scale. 306 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:37,240 Can I just say, I'm loving this. 307 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:40,200 This is like when you go in the old DIY place, 308 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:42,000 - looking at the paint charts. - Yeah. 309 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:44,080 {\an8}Where's the perfect chip on there? 310 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:46,840 {\an8}Anything below that four there. 311 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:50,240 {\an8}But because of the time of year we are, we'll be around here. 312 00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:52,200 This is our first indication 313 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:55,120 of how we set up our manufacturing process 314 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:57,760 to deliver that consistent product. 315 00:15:57,760 --> 00:15:59,200 Have they all passed? 316 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:00,400 They've passed. 317 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:01,680 Right, Mike. What next, pal? 318 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:05,000 We can now release these potatoes through to manufacturing. 319 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:06,560 So, we have a radio. 320 00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:08,600 If you want to do the honours, Paddy? 321 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:10,360 It's a modern world, isn't it? 322 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:13,200 Am I..? Am I releasing...? 323 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:14,680 Release the potatoes. 324 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:16,120 RADIO BEEPS 325 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:18,760 Hello. Paddy McGuinness here. 326 00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:20,200 You what? 327 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:22,120 Just give 'em a minute to get over... 328 00:16:22,120 --> 00:16:24,640 - They'll be a bit star-struck. - Yeah, yeah. 329 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:26,800 Untether the taters. 330 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:35,680 Thousands of freshly-dug, muddy spuds 331 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:39,320 are starting their journey to becoming frozen chips. 332 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:46,920 We've unloaded them off the lorry. 333 00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:49,680 - We've tested them for their sugar content. - Yep. 334 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:52,000 And we're here now. How long have we been at this, Mike? 335 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:54,600 So, at this point here, we've been 30 minutes. 336 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:55,760 So, 30 minutes. 337 00:16:55,760 --> 00:17:00,000 So you're saying in another, what, 90 minutes, hour and a half, 338 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:02,680 they're going to be on the back of a wagon and done and off? 339 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:07,000 Exactly, yeah. Frozen, finished, in the bag, ready to go. 340 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:10,000 I mean, I know we're against the clock here, Mike, 341 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:12,000 but before we go any further, 342 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:14,000 you've got a plate of chips - 343 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:15,520 what are you putting on them? 344 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:18,000 Brown sauce, all the way. 345 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:20,000 Tell you what, 346 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:22,280 it's amazing how quickly you can go off someone. 347 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:23,400 LAUGHTER 348 00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:26,360 Brown sauce? On chips?! 349 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:30,160 To get rid of any residue from the field, 350 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:33,040 the potatoes tumble into a destoner... 351 00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:37,440 ..which floats the spuds in water 352 00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:39,880 and sinks any remaining stones. 353 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:43,440 Then it's onwards into a washer 354 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:45,400 to remove the last bits of soil. 355 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:50,600 Oh, there they are! 356 00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:51,880 Spotlessly clean! 357 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:54,800 - They've just had a lovely bath. - Yeah. 358 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:56,320 What's the next stage now, Mike? 359 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:58,000 Because I know we've got to keep this moving. 360 00:17:58,000 --> 00:17:59,840 We have, yeah. So that's me done now. 361 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:01,680 So that's where my responsibility ends. 362 00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:05,000 And I'm going to hand you over to my production colleague, Ashley. 363 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:07,000 Ashley. Right. 364 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:08,400 Lovely to meet you, Mike. 365 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:11,400 - You too. - Apart from the brown sauce. That's unforgivable. 366 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:13,360 Great, I'll follow the potatoes. 367 00:18:16,760 --> 00:18:21,560 My spotless spuds are as fresh as, well, a daisy... 368 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:25,520 ..and are now sorted by size. 369 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:27,960 Any that are too small for chips drop away 370 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:31,040 between the rollers to become other products. 371 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:36,240 The rest continue at a rate of 50 tonnes every hour... 372 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:40,040 ..straight to the peeling area. 373 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:47,280 Production director Ashley Bowsley is the man in charge. 374 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:49,000 You all right, Ashley? 375 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:50,920 - All right, Paddy. - Pleased to meet you, mate. 376 00:18:50,920 --> 00:18:52,040 Nice to meet you. 377 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:54,880 I tell you what, a bit noisy up here! 378 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:57,480 Oh, it is. The reason it is is because this vessel, 379 00:18:57,480 --> 00:18:59,480 it's a steam vessel. 380 00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:02,920 Hang on, I thought I were coming to the potato peeling bit. 381 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:06,440 Yeah, this is. So what we've done with technology, we've changed it. 382 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:09,000 So, rather than a person using a potato peeler, 383 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:11,240 we now steam peel our potatoes. 384 00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:15,920 You steam peel a pota... 385 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:18,000 I have never heard of this in my life. 386 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:19,200 How does that work? 387 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:21,560 The potatoes go into a vessel into here, 388 00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:23,600 the steam is injected. 389 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:26,000 The potatoes are made up of 80% water, 390 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:28,360 and what happens is the water behind that skin 391 00:19:28,360 --> 00:19:31,000 is then heated up and the steam is generated behind it, 392 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:33,360 and then it explodes the skin off the potato. 393 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:37,400 The steam is added at such high pressure 394 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:41,520 that it quickly heats the water under the skin of the potatoes. 395 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:45,760 The pressure inside the vessel is then released, 396 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:48,520 causing the water to suddenly expand, 397 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:51,320 loosening the peel from the flesh of the potato. 398 00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:55,240 That makes perfect sense. 399 00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:57,800 I can't believe no-one's thought of that before. 400 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:00,000 How long have you been steaming your spuds? 401 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:02,000 That sounds wrong, but you know what I mean. 402 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:03,720 Yeah, we steam the potatoes 403 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:07,000 for between 5 seconds and 15 seconds. 404 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:09,360 What a time to be alive. 405 00:20:09,360 --> 00:20:12,480 That is a modern way of peeling a spud! 406 00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:18,600 The taters are lifted into a washer, 407 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:21,960 which removes any loose skin before they tumble out. 408 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:30,640 32 tonnes of squeaky clean, shiny spuds a minute. 409 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:36,080 Me and Ashley have been getting on famously, 410 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:39,840 so I wonder how he'd feel about a little day trip. 411 00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:42,760 Do you know, I know we're in Scarborough. 412 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:44,800 Do you get down to t'seaside much? 413 00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:46,920 Every now and then I get there. 414 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:50,200 Oh, I love it. I mean, obviously, fish and chips are the main thing 415 00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:52,440 but I do love a sugar doughnut, Ash. 416 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:55,040 Let's hope he takes the hint. 417 00:20:55,040 --> 00:20:57,320 I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside 418 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:02,840 Meanwhile, Ruth is several steps ahead of us, 419 00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:04,840 50 miles down the coast, 420 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:08,120 discovering the origins of this belter of a dish. 421 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:12,080 - Lovely. Cheers. - You're welcome. 422 00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:15,080 SHE CHUCKLES 423 00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:18,040 Fish and chips by the seaside. 424 00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:22,120 You can't get a much more British institution than this. 425 00:21:22,120 --> 00:21:24,120 But where did our passion 426 00:21:24,120 --> 00:21:28,200 for deep-fried fish and chips come from? 427 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:34,880 To find out, I'm meeting food anthropologist Dr Mukta Das... 428 00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:36,880 - Mukta, hello! - Hello! 429 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:38,800 Oh, how lovely. 430 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:41,200 ..on Cleethorpes' historic pier. 431 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:44,320 This is the British seaside, isn't it? 432 00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:46,240 - Fish and chips in a breeze. - Overcast. 433 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:47,480 THEY LAUGH 434 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:49,120 This looks fabulous. 435 00:21:49,120 --> 00:21:51,560 So what was it, then, that gave rise 436 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:55,640 to the unrivalled popularity of fish and chips? 437 00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:59,760 We can't really be 100% sure about the history of this dish, 438 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:04,640 but we can be sure that it wasn't an entirely British invention. 439 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:07,880 And, in fact, possibly the most compelling origin story is 440 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:11,400 that fried fish came across to England with 441 00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:14,120 the Sephardic Jews from Spain and Portugal. 442 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:19,920 Sephardic Jews began to arrive 443 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:23,360 in London at the beginning of the 17th century 444 00:22:23,360 --> 00:22:27,080 fleeing the Spanish Inquisition, which persecuted people 445 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:30,360 who didn't share its Christian faith. 446 00:22:30,360 --> 00:22:33,640 And with them came one of their favourite foods - 447 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:34,960 fried fish. 448 00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:39,360 Initially, it's the food of an immigrant population, 449 00:22:39,360 --> 00:22:42,040 - and then gradually it spreads out. - That's right. 450 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:45,440 By the middle of the 1800s, 451 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:48,320 fried, and very likely battered, fish 452 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:50,920 began to appear as a popular street food. 453 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:55,400 It took its place among the jacket potatoes and the meat pies 454 00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:56,960 and everything else. 455 00:22:56,960 --> 00:22:59,080 - Jellied eels. - Jellied eels. 456 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:00,200 Absolutely. 457 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:08,320 To discover how a simple fish snack became 458 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:12,400 one of our most celebrated national dishes, 459 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:16,120 Mukta has brought me a couple of miles up the road 460 00:23:16,120 --> 00:23:18,880 to the industrial port of Grimsby. 461 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:22,440 So what's so special about this dock, then? 462 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:26,040 These docks were the first docks to 463 00:23:26,040 --> 00:23:30,240 incorporate both the port plus railways. 464 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:32,480 So this was an all-in-one, 465 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:35,160 - we're going to build a dock with railways? - That's right. 466 00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:43,240 The once-small fishing port was expanded in the 1850s 467 00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:46,520 to include its own railway, running straight from the docks... 468 00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:54,640 ..so freshly-caught fish could be loaded onto waiting trains 469 00:23:54,640 --> 00:23:56,400 and sent all over the country. 470 00:23:59,920 --> 00:24:03,880 Grimsby became one of the largest fishing ports in the world. 471 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:07,680 Would it have been as busy as this? 472 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:10,880 Yeah. Around the first year of operation, they were landing 473 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:14,640 and processing around 3,400 tonnes of fish, 474 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:17,000 about double the amount from the year before. 475 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:18,840 And, within ten years or so, 476 00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:22,200 they were processing about 20,000 tonnes of fish. 477 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:23,600 Good grief. 478 00:24:25,280 --> 00:24:30,520 By the 1870s, technology was advancing out at sea as well, 479 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:35,840 as the traditional sail power of most fishing boats was replaced. 480 00:24:37,280 --> 00:24:40,560 What you had were the introductions of these trawlers. 481 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:42,760 - As you see here... - Oh, it's a steam trawler. 482 00:24:42,760 --> 00:24:44,640 That's right. And they're larger, 483 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:46,680 so they're able to go out for longer 484 00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:48,720 around Greenland, around Iceland, 485 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:52,480 and then just capture as much as they can through their trawl. 486 00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:55,480 And then the fast clippers and cutters would then 487 00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:58,760 ferry these fish back and forth to be sold in markets like this. 488 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:00,480 That's a well-thought-out system. 489 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:04,080 This industrialisation of 490 00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:08,840 the fishing industry made fried fish much more readily available, 491 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:12,920 and so it became an affordable meal for the masses. 492 00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:17,240 So we've talked about the fish - what about the chips? 493 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:21,080 There are chip restaurants that emerge at this time 494 00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:22,640 in the Victorian era. 495 00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:24,920 So not fish and chip, just chip? 496 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:29,280 Yeah. It becomes a really classic working-class staple, 497 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:31,120 where you have chips deep-fried 498 00:25:31,120 --> 00:25:33,560 in the same way that you'd have fish deep-fried. 499 00:25:33,560 --> 00:25:35,840 So, the two are happening separately. 500 00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:38,760 When did they come together? 501 00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:41,920 The crux of it is when we have an emergence of 502 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:44,280 the sort of new technology of deep-frying. 503 00:25:46,360 --> 00:25:48,960 In the late 19th century, the development of new, 504 00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:52,120 larger deep fat fryers meant that for the first time 505 00:25:52,120 --> 00:25:55,240 fish AND chips could be cooked side-by-side - 506 00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:56,720 much like they are today. 507 00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:02,040 And so you have the birth of this new type of establishment 508 00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:04,080 that combines both fish and chips. 509 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:10,040 Arguments remain about where the very first fish and chip shop 510 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:12,680 was opened. But one thing's for sure - 511 00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:14,960 they proved a big hit. 512 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:19,720 By 1910, there were more than 25,000 around the country. 513 00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:25,680 That said, it still doesn't explain one thing. 514 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:27,560 And what about the seaside? I mean, 515 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:31,640 I definitely associate eating fish and chips with the seaside. 516 00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:33,240 When did that begin? 517 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:36,360 The same railways that transported fish across 518 00:26:36,360 --> 00:26:38,240 the country would have been the same railways 519 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:41,000 that would have carted people into seaside towns. 520 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:44,280 And here, with the fish and chip industry growing as it did, 521 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:45,720 this would have been the ultimate 522 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:48,880 sort of holiday food for those folk as well. 523 00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:51,120 We're at the seaside, we've had our fish and chips. 524 00:26:51,120 --> 00:26:52,480 You know what we need now, don't you? 525 00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:55,080 - What's that? - An ice cream. Come on, I'll treat you. 526 00:26:58,120 --> 00:27:00,760 Oh, I'll have a 99 and two Funny Feet, please, Ruth. 527 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:09,360 I'm still no closer to getting a plate of chips here. 528 00:27:14,120 --> 00:27:15,560 Here we are. Oh! 529 00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:22,760 My freshly peeled potato pals... 530 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:25,520 I can see how they keep flicking up. 531 00:27:25,520 --> 00:27:28,880 ..are passing through ANOTHER optical sorter. 532 00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:34,960 Cameras detect any naturally occurring green marks and bruises 533 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:37,000 revealed by the peeling 534 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:40,240 and it flicks them off using computer-controlled levers. 535 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:45,280 Oh, there's another! 536 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:47,040 Wahey! 537 00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:48,800 I mean, I could stay here all day. 538 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:52,440 But time is ticking, 539 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:55,400 and while the blemished spuds are sent for animal feed, 540 00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:59,080 me and my pristine potatoes need to get a wriggle on. 541 00:28:02,840 --> 00:28:05,880 Now, your mate Mike from earlier told me 542 00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:09,600 the whole process is going to be two hours, Ash. 543 00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:11,280 How far into this are we now? 544 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:15,000 So, we're currently 65 minutes into the process. 545 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:17,080 Um, excuse me, maths, but I think 546 00:28:17,080 --> 00:28:19,240 that leaves 55 minutes, doesn't it? 547 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:20,880 And they're not even chipped yet. 548 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:25,320 At home, I'd have parboiled these fellas hours ago... 549 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:29,560 ..but Ash has something more high-tech. 550 00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:33,080 We need to put 'em through our pulse electric field machine, 551 00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:36,160 which softens the potato up ready for cutting. 552 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:37,680 Pulse electric field. 553 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:40,960 So, where are these magical electric things happening? 554 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:43,600 It's that small machine which looks tiny and it literally 555 00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:46,280 - goes through there in seconds. - How does that even work? 556 00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:50,280 So what that does is it sends electric pulses into the water. 557 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:52,720 That then softens the potato up for us 558 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:55,480 so allows it for us to cut the potato easier. 559 00:28:55,480 --> 00:28:57,960 The amount of stuff what goes on 560 00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:01,240 with a humble chip in here is amazing! 561 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:13,480 So, what we do now is we actually start cutting the potato into chips. 562 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:15,080 Now, let me show you. 563 00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:16,400 So I'll get a potato off the line. 564 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:22,000 So, what happens now is the potato will come down here. 565 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:25,320 - Yeah. - OK? It'll come into this, what we call a tube. 566 00:29:25,320 --> 00:29:27,200 - What this does... - Hey. 567 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:29,840 I call it a tube as well, funnily enough! 568 00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:31,960 We all call 'em tubes, Ash! 569 00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:33,800 What we call a tube 570 00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:36,040 and what we call a potato. 571 00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:37,200 That's a tuber. 572 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:38,600 THEY LAUGH 573 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:41,360 - Right, so it goes into this tube. - And it comes through here. 574 00:29:41,360 --> 00:29:42,640 What's that called again? 575 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:45,720 - A black tube. - A tube. Yeah, right, OK. Yeah. - OK. 576 00:29:45,720 --> 00:29:49,080 So, it actually comes through the tube at 60mph. 577 00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:52,960 - That's going some. - Yeah. - Why so fast? - The reason is, is so then, 578 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:56,200 when it goes into our cutter box, it goes through here 579 00:29:56,200 --> 00:29:58,280 and then it's cut into chips. 580 00:29:58,280 --> 00:29:59,680 Can I pick that up? Is that all right? 581 00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:01,000 Yeah, yeah, of course. 582 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:02,640 So, all them are razor sharp 583 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:04,560 and that's what the potato goes into. 584 00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:06,600 See that in there - they're all sort of staggered. 585 00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:13,720 I can see exactly the size 586 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:16,440 of the chips and everything. 587 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:18,160 I can totally see on there. 588 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:25,560 So, in there now is the chips 589 00:30:25,560 --> 00:30:29,120 totally cut, what we'd all recognise on our plate. 590 00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:31,640 - Yeah. - But where can I actually see them? 591 00:30:31,640 --> 00:30:33,680 - That's in the next bit. - After you, pal. 592 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:42,120 Four cutters are chopping 100kg of spuds a minute 593 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:46,040 before they make their big entrance. 594 00:30:46,040 --> 00:30:47,840 595 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:55,880 596 00:30:55,880 --> 00:30:58,240 PADDY LAUGHS 597 00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:00,360 There they are, the little rascals. 598 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:02,040 Look at them! 599 00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:03,840 Just marching out there. 600 00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:10,960 A whopping 1.7 million chips 601 00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:14,080 tumble down this waterfall every hour. 602 00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:16,520 603 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:19,720 - Can I grab one of these? - Yeah, go for it, Paddy. 604 00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:22,640 Very exciting. Here we go. Let's have that little rascal there. 605 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:25,960 Look at that beautiful chip. 606 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:29,560 Perfect size. 607 00:31:29,560 --> 00:31:31,200 So that's what we're looking for. 608 00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:33,200 - What we've got is a clean cut. - Yeah. 609 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:34,760 And the reason for that clean cut is 610 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:37,280 because of our pulse electric field machine. 611 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:39,160 It softened that potato up. 612 00:31:39,160 --> 00:31:42,600 And then what we've got is then a nice, clean-cut potato. 613 00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:45,560 So now, is it just a case of freezing them 614 00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:47,960 - and getting them out there? - No, no. So after here, 615 00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:49,840 what it goes into is a water flume 616 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:51,600 because what we're trying to do is stopping 617 00:31:51,600 --> 00:31:53,280 the oxygen attack the potato. 618 00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:55,400 Is that so they don't go brown and discoloured? 619 00:31:55,400 --> 00:31:58,360 So, imagine, like your apple at home where you bite into it, 620 00:31:58,360 --> 00:32:01,200 - you leave it on the side, it starts to go brown. - Yeah. - In effect, 621 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:03,400 - that's what happens to the potato if you leave it out. - Got it. 622 00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:05,560 How far into the process are we now, then? 623 00:32:05,560 --> 00:32:08,880 - So, we're 67 minutes into the process. - It feels like now, 624 00:32:08,880 --> 00:32:11,600 cos I've seen the actual chips, it's doable. 625 00:32:11,600 --> 00:32:15,000 At the beginning when I met Mike and he said two hours, 626 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:17,960 I was thinking, "That's not achievable." 627 00:32:17,960 --> 00:32:19,840 But I think we're on it. 628 00:32:19,840 --> 00:32:21,840 I think we've caught it up, Ash. 629 00:32:21,840 --> 00:32:24,520 - Right, go on, lead on to the next bit, pal. - Come on, then, Paddy. 630 00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:25,600 Come on, Paddy, follow me. 631 00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:27,920 I'll take it with me. 632 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:33,040 I've got to say, it does feel like 633 00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:36,240 we're getting into the groove of making chips at last. 634 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:40,320 635 00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:44,040 636 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:47,520 637 00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:52,680 Oh, look at that. Like a little disco. What have we got here? 638 00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:55,800 So what we have is another optical sorter. 639 00:32:55,800 --> 00:32:58,560 - And what is it doing, then? - So what it's doing is it's looking 640 00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:01,040 for the natural imperfections in the chip, 641 00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:03,520 OK? So they're not harmful or anything like that. 642 00:33:05,200 --> 00:33:09,760 This third optical sorting machine also uses high-speed cameras 643 00:33:09,760 --> 00:33:13,320 to detect the contrasting colours of blemishes caused 644 00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:15,520 by bruising or sunburn 645 00:33:15,520 --> 00:33:19,200 that have been exposed by the cutting process. 646 00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:23,320 What it does is, if it sees anything that's not the natural chip colour, 647 00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:26,160 it'll then shoot that off with a blast of air. 648 00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:28,720 And the camera's spotting each one of them? 649 00:33:28,720 --> 00:33:31,320 Every single one it takes an image of, yeah. 650 00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:32,960 I mean, they're going that fast that 651 00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:35,120 when I'm looking at it you can't even tell they're chips. 652 00:33:35,120 --> 00:33:37,520 It just looks like yellow things. 653 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:39,400 Where do they go to then? What happens to those, 654 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:40,680 the ones with the little bits 655 00:33:40,680 --> 00:33:42,480 of black and the little bits of green on? 656 00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:44,800 So, we save every single chip. 657 00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:48,440 The machine then siphons off the blemished chips 658 00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:50,720 for a separate sorting process. 659 00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:54,760 So, they're coming down to there, all the little bits 660 00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:57,240 and different colours on them - bits of green, bits of black, 661 00:33:57,240 --> 00:33:59,840 - bits of brown. - Yeah. And then, after there, 662 00:33:59,840 --> 00:34:02,240 what it does is go through another camera which takes 663 00:34:02,240 --> 00:34:05,200 an image of that chip again. 664 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:07,320 This final camera pinpoints 665 00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:11,480 the exact location of any blemish that needs to be cut out. 666 00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:14,880 And in here is a big cutting wheel, OK? 667 00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:16,120 You can't see it in there 668 00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:17,960 because, obviously, we've got all the blades. 669 00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:21,640 But what it does, it cuts every single piece out. 670 00:34:21,640 --> 00:34:25,080 I mean, that's a lot. And again, at the speed they're coming through, 671 00:34:25,080 --> 00:34:26,280 how's it cutting them out? 672 00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:30,360 So, inside what you have is these two blades, OK? 673 00:34:30,360 --> 00:34:32,880 - There's not just two of these, there's thousands of blades. - Yeah. 674 00:34:32,880 --> 00:34:33,960 It uses air pressure 675 00:34:33,960 --> 00:34:37,720 to push these blades out and cut them natural imperfections out. 676 00:34:37,720 --> 00:34:41,680 So in there, that's going to be doing that at, like... 677 00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:43,640 You're not even going to be able to compute it 678 00:34:43,640 --> 00:34:48,200 - because it's just that fast? - That'll be milliseconds, that. 679 00:34:48,200 --> 00:34:51,520 And then I can see all the little bits that have been cut out. 680 00:34:51,520 --> 00:34:53,480 Can you see that? Look at that. 681 00:34:53,480 --> 00:34:55,040 That's been cut off there. 682 00:34:57,400 --> 00:34:59,600 Are they binned, then? What happens to them? 683 00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:02,800 Nothing's binned. So, all the small bits will go to animal feed, 684 00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:04,680 so we don't put anything into landfill. 685 00:35:04,680 --> 00:35:07,240 OK. And also, listen, me, 686 00:35:07,240 --> 00:35:09,120 where I grew up in Bolton, 687 00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:11,840 all those little bits we're calling imperfections - 688 00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:14,560 the little green bits and the little dark bits - 689 00:35:14,560 --> 00:35:16,880 - they are edible. - Oh, yeah, all of them are edible. 690 00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:19,640 - They just don't look the best on the eye, do they? - No, all of them 691 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:22,600 - are completely edible and you can eat them. - Beautiful. 692 00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:24,560 Well, with all this chit-chat, 693 00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:26,840 I'm definitely starting to feel a bit peckish. 694 00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:30,280 I were talking to Mike before about your favourite 695 00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:32,640 sauce on chips, and it got a bit heated. 696 00:35:32,640 --> 00:35:36,240 But, really, when I think about it, 697 00:35:36,240 --> 00:35:38,400 I know it's not technically a sauce, 698 00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:41,760 but you've got to start off with vinegar. 699 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:43,840 Nah, not for me. I don't like vinegar. 700 00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:46,440 - You don't like vinegar? - No, I don't like vinegar. 701 00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:48,960 I've got Mike with the brown sauce and you with vinegar. 702 00:35:50,240 --> 00:35:52,080 Where's all me friends in here? 703 00:35:52,080 --> 00:35:54,720 I love vinegar! In fact, 704 00:35:54,720 --> 00:35:56,320 Cherry's doing a bit on vinegar now. 705 00:35:59,560 --> 00:36:01,520 - More, please. More, please. - More? 706 00:36:01,520 --> 00:36:02,600 More, please. 707 00:36:02,600 --> 00:36:04,120 Oh, get it on there, Cherry. 708 00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:05,760 More. More? More. 709 00:36:05,760 --> 00:36:07,520 You can't buy class. 710 00:36:07,520 --> 00:36:09,480 More, please. When! 711 00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:11,040 Banging. 712 00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:11,040 SHE GASPS 713 00:36:11,040 --> 00:36:12,360 Oh! 714 00:36:12,360 --> 00:36:17,160 I also love a lot of vinegar on my chips. 715 00:36:17,160 --> 00:36:19,200 It's the perfect pairing. 716 00:36:19,200 --> 00:36:23,400 But have you ever wondered how exactly is malt vinegar made? 717 00:36:30,240 --> 00:36:34,040 I'm visiting a factory in Middleton, Greater Manchester, 718 00:36:34,040 --> 00:36:37,400 where they know a thing or two about making vinegar. 719 00:36:39,720 --> 00:36:41,280 Sarson's have been producing 720 00:36:41,280 --> 00:36:45,800 this ultimate chip condiment for over 230 years. 721 00:36:47,160 --> 00:36:49,640 Graham Houghton is the technical manager. 722 00:36:50,840 --> 00:36:53,520 - Graham, lovely to meet you. - Nice to meet you too. 723 00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:56,480 I love the vinegary smell in here. I just wish I'd brought some chips. 724 00:36:56,480 --> 00:36:58,360 Oh! We can sort some of those later. 725 00:36:58,360 --> 00:37:00,040 I just couldn't get them in my suitcase. 726 00:37:02,320 --> 00:37:04,080 Thomas Sarson began making 727 00:37:04,080 --> 00:37:07,200 the original vinegar in 1794 and, 728 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:09,880 despite some high-tech kit, 729 00:37:09,880 --> 00:37:12,200 the factory uses surprisingly similar 730 00:37:12,200 --> 00:37:16,320 methods today to how they made it two centuries ago. 731 00:37:17,360 --> 00:37:18,640 I can't wait to see how you make it. 732 00:37:18,640 --> 00:37:21,480 - OK. Shall we go and have a look? - Yes, please. 733 00:37:21,480 --> 00:37:24,880 Production starts as it always has, 734 00:37:24,880 --> 00:37:27,400 with the main ingredient... 735 00:37:31,120 --> 00:37:33,200 ..milled malted barley. 736 00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:36,280 - OK, so what's in here... - Woo! Look at that. 737 00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:38,200 ..is a bed of barley with water. 738 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:40,680 - OK. - It's around about 63 degrees C. 739 00:37:40,680 --> 00:37:44,760 - And what's happening is the enzymes which were in the barley... - Mm-hm. 740 00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:48,680 ..they start to break down the starch into sugars. 741 00:37:48,680 --> 00:37:51,240 This is quite similar to making beer, is it? 742 00:37:51,240 --> 00:37:53,840 It is. It's very similar to the beer-making process. 743 00:37:55,280 --> 00:37:58,160 Before factories like this dedicated their business 744 00:37:58,160 --> 00:37:59,480 to vinegar production, 745 00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:02,680 it was made by brewers, who collected excess beer 746 00:38:02,680 --> 00:38:05,840 that had soured and sold it as a by-product. 747 00:38:07,600 --> 00:38:10,280 We are historically a beer-drinking culture. 748 00:38:10,280 --> 00:38:12,880 - Yes. - Hence they go hand-in-hand. 749 00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:13,960 Yeah, absolutely. 750 00:38:13,960 --> 00:38:17,680 That's why we're famous for malt vinegar in the UK. 751 00:38:23,720 --> 00:38:26,000 Just like making beer, the barley 752 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:28,680 and hot water mix is strained, 753 00:38:28,680 --> 00:38:32,000 producing a golden-coloured liquid... 754 00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:35,280 - Cheers. - Cheers. - Bottoms up. 755 00:38:35,280 --> 00:38:37,400 ..known as sweet wort. 756 00:38:39,320 --> 00:38:42,480 I'm mean...hiya. 757 00:38:42,480 --> 00:38:44,000 - It's good, isn't it? - It's good. 758 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:46,800 It's so sweet, but it's also malty 759 00:38:46,800 --> 00:38:49,880 and it's got those sort of fruity flavours to it. 760 00:38:49,880 --> 00:38:51,560 - It's almost like a syrup. - Yeah. 761 00:38:51,560 --> 00:38:54,040 And that's exactly what we want at this stage. 762 00:38:54,040 --> 00:38:55,680 So that's going to become vinegar? 763 00:38:55,680 --> 00:38:57,120 It is going to become vinegar. 764 00:38:57,120 --> 00:38:58,640 - Can I bring this? - Yeah. - OK. 765 00:38:58,640 --> 00:38:59,960 HE LAUGHS 766 00:39:03,440 --> 00:39:08,080 The transformation from sweet wort to acidic malt vinegar 767 00:39:08,080 --> 00:39:11,800 begins inside these steel fermentation vessels. 768 00:39:13,280 --> 00:39:16,960 Yeast is added, which gets to work for six days, 769 00:39:16,960 --> 00:39:19,160 turning the sugars into alcohol through 770 00:39:19,160 --> 00:39:21,400 the process of fermentation 771 00:39:21,400 --> 00:39:24,960 before the liquid is moved to huge wooden vessels. 772 00:39:28,280 --> 00:39:31,600 These here, they're Siberian pine, about 50 years old. 773 00:39:31,600 --> 00:39:33,000 Does it help with the flavour? 774 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:36,280 We think it helps to round and mature the vinegar. 775 00:39:36,280 --> 00:39:39,640 And again, part of the uniqueness and heritage of our process. 776 00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:44,880 The fermented liquid, now known as bright wort, 777 00:39:44,880 --> 00:39:46,960 is similar to a barley ale 778 00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:49,440 and it certainly packs a punch. 779 00:39:51,800 --> 00:39:56,560 Inside of here is 9.3% alcohol. 780 00:39:56,560 --> 00:39:58,440 That sounds very strong. 781 00:39:58,440 --> 00:40:00,440 It is very strong. But we need that strength 782 00:40:00,440 --> 00:40:02,400 because what we're trying to do is convert 783 00:40:02,400 --> 00:40:03,920 the alcohol into acid, 784 00:40:03,920 --> 00:40:05,840 which is what makes vinegar. 785 00:40:07,720 --> 00:40:08,760 Cor! 786 00:40:10,240 --> 00:40:12,320 You can taste the alcohol in that, can't you? 787 00:40:12,320 --> 00:40:13,880 - You can indeed, yeah. - You really can. 788 00:40:15,480 --> 00:40:19,040 Next, the boozy liquid is piped into another set 789 00:40:19,040 --> 00:40:23,760 of wooden barrels, where it's mixed with something called acetobacter, 790 00:40:23,760 --> 00:40:26,000 a live bacteria, 791 00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:29,200 along with another unusual ingredient which Graham 792 00:40:29,200 --> 00:40:32,400 has set up for me in this glass container. 793 00:40:32,400 --> 00:40:35,000 So, what we have here is a smaller 794 00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:36,920 version of the big barrels. 795 00:40:36,920 --> 00:40:38,680 Inside this is wood wool. 796 00:40:38,680 --> 00:40:40,640 - Wood...wool? - Wood wool. 797 00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:42,920 These are shavings from the larch tree 798 00:40:42,920 --> 00:40:44,760 that helps impart a roundness 799 00:40:44,760 --> 00:40:47,920 of flavour to the vinegar as it passes through. 800 00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:50,480 - It has a very particular smell. - Yeah. 801 00:40:50,480 --> 00:40:53,320 - It's very fresh and piney. - Yeah. 802 00:40:53,320 --> 00:40:57,000 Wood wool has been used to add flavour to vinegar 803 00:40:57,000 --> 00:40:58,720 for more than 200 years. 804 00:40:59,720 --> 00:41:01,440 Inside the wooden barrels, 805 00:41:01,440 --> 00:41:05,080 the alcohol liquid is passed through the wood wool 806 00:41:05,080 --> 00:41:08,440 and the acetobacter bacteria many times. 807 00:41:10,680 --> 00:41:13,400 What we're doing is we're giving the bacteria alcohol, 808 00:41:13,400 --> 00:41:16,480 which they need as food, which they then consume, 809 00:41:16,480 --> 00:41:19,000 and that converts to acid. 810 00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:22,000 So, the bacteria are eating the alcohol 811 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:26,360 and that is reducing the alcohol level and increasing the acidity? 812 00:41:26,360 --> 00:41:27,640 Increasing the acidity. 813 00:41:27,640 --> 00:41:29,200 That's so clever. 814 00:41:29,200 --> 00:41:32,120 So it's a really organic process. 815 00:41:32,120 --> 00:41:33,760 It's a living process 816 00:41:33,760 --> 00:41:36,200 and those bacteria will do the magic for you. 817 00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:40,320 And what's left is vinegar, 818 00:41:40,320 --> 00:41:43,720 which leaves the traditional part of the factory 819 00:41:43,720 --> 00:41:45,840 for the high-tech bottling hall. 820 00:41:51,080 --> 00:41:53,440 And after all that, here we are. 821 00:41:53,440 --> 00:41:56,560 - Yep. Would you like a taste? Yeah, I would! - OK. 822 00:41:58,880 --> 00:42:01,720 - Freshly brewed. - Yep. Freshly brewed. 823 00:42:01,720 --> 00:42:03,920 - Fresh Sarson's. - To the bacteria! 824 00:42:03,920 --> 00:42:04,960 Cheers! 825 00:42:07,960 --> 00:42:10,920 Phwoar! That will blow your socks off! 826 00:42:10,920 --> 00:42:12,720 I wouldn't want a pint of that, 827 00:42:12,720 --> 00:42:15,920 but my goodness is that punchy and delicious. 828 00:42:15,920 --> 00:42:19,400 And on your chips so well. 829 00:42:19,400 --> 00:42:20,960 Right. To the chippy! 830 00:42:20,960 --> 00:42:22,120 HE LAUGHS 831 00:42:32,400 --> 00:42:34,280 Send Me On My Way by Rusted Root 832 00:42:37,880 --> 00:42:41,600 Send me on my way. 833 00:42:41,600 --> 00:42:45,360 I'm getting ever closer to tasting a few chips meself. 834 00:42:49,600 --> 00:42:52,840 But it looks like I've got to get through an obstacle course first. 835 00:42:54,720 --> 00:42:56,640 Here we go. Oh, crikey! 836 00:42:56,640 --> 00:42:58,520 Not made for people our size, 837 00:42:58,520 --> 00:43:00,360 - these, are they, Ash? - No, they're not, Paddy. 838 00:43:02,800 --> 00:43:04,360 Out the way, son. 839 00:43:04,360 --> 00:43:06,120 I'm trying to make a TV programme. 840 00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:09,640 841 00:43:09,640 --> 00:43:11,440 842 00:43:11,440 --> 00:43:14,480 Send me on my way. 843 00:43:14,480 --> 00:43:17,520 My freshly-cut chips are travelling along 844 00:43:17,520 --> 00:43:21,920 yet another massive system of conveyors, drying out as they go. 845 00:43:24,960 --> 00:43:28,400 My word, it's just chips as far as the eye can see. 846 00:43:28,400 --> 00:43:31,320 I mean, I'm in Northern Heaven here. 847 00:43:31,320 --> 00:43:33,480 Look at that. How many steps do you get in a day 848 00:43:33,480 --> 00:43:35,000 walking round this factory? 849 00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:37,840 So, to get around this factory, it's 6,000 steps a day. 850 00:43:37,840 --> 00:43:40,440 Oh! Which means we can eat more chips. 851 00:43:40,440 --> 00:43:42,760 - We're burning it off. - Definitely. - It's a win-win. 852 00:43:44,960 --> 00:43:47,760 And we've got further to go yet, 853 00:43:47,760 --> 00:43:50,720 as we're following my chips to the drying area... 854 00:43:52,440 --> 00:43:54,240 ..where they're blasted with hot air, 855 00:43:54,240 --> 00:43:58,480 reducing the moisture content from 80% to 70%. 856 00:44:00,800 --> 00:44:02,000 Look at that now. 857 00:44:03,480 --> 00:44:06,760 They don't look as damp as the last time I saw them. 858 00:44:06,760 --> 00:44:10,040 So, the whole idea is that this chip is now a little bit tacky, 859 00:44:10,040 --> 00:44:12,160 ready for the battering process. 860 00:44:12,160 --> 00:44:14,240 - Batter? - Batter, yeah. 861 00:44:14,240 --> 00:44:16,320 It's a nice, light batter 862 00:44:16,320 --> 00:44:18,440 that we put on to give it that crispness. 863 00:44:18,440 --> 00:44:20,320 And also, it gives you that nice colour. 864 00:44:20,320 --> 00:44:23,360 Honestly, I never realised they had that on. 865 00:44:23,360 --> 00:44:25,560 That's got to be a really thin layer of that. 866 00:44:27,240 --> 00:44:30,280 Who knew? The batter is made from wheat flour, 867 00:44:30,280 --> 00:44:32,520 water, a pinch of salt 868 00:44:32,520 --> 00:44:34,800 and turmeric and paprika extracts, 869 00:44:34,800 --> 00:44:36,800 which give it a golden colour. 870 00:44:38,320 --> 00:44:40,120 And then what you have is air blowers, 871 00:44:40,120 --> 00:44:42,480 which then takes off any excess batter on there, 872 00:44:42,480 --> 00:44:44,800 so then it gives us the right amount of crispness. 873 00:44:48,520 --> 00:44:51,920 My battered chips are ready for their big moment... 874 00:44:54,520 --> 00:44:58,120 ..in the most enormous fryer I have ever seen. 875 00:45:02,720 --> 00:45:03,960 Ah, here we go. 876 00:45:05,320 --> 00:45:09,360 I can see 'em dropping in there for a little fry. 877 00:45:09,360 --> 00:45:11,480 Yeah, so what we've got is a two-stage fry. 878 00:45:11,480 --> 00:45:12,960 I know how to fry chips at home, 879 00:45:12,960 --> 00:45:14,920 but why are you doing them in two stages here? 880 00:45:14,920 --> 00:45:16,040 What's the reason? 881 00:45:16,040 --> 00:45:18,960 So, the first stage is we seal the batter onto the fry. 882 00:45:18,960 --> 00:45:21,400 So the whole idea is to get that crispness right. 883 00:45:21,400 --> 00:45:22,920 The second stage is then making sure 884 00:45:22,920 --> 00:45:26,160 we then cook it further to get the right internal texture. 885 00:45:28,920 --> 00:45:33,040 Both stages happen inside this monster fryer, 886 00:45:33,040 --> 00:45:38,200 where vegetable oil is heated to 185 degrees Celsius, 887 00:45:38,200 --> 00:45:41,720 doing the job in just 50 seconds... 888 00:45:41,720 --> 00:45:43,440 ..before they emerge. 889 00:45:47,720 --> 00:45:50,640 Er... Are them the ones up there? 890 00:45:50,640 --> 00:45:53,840 So up there, Paddy, is where the chips will come out of the fryer. 891 00:45:53,840 --> 00:45:57,480 Unfortunately, we can't get up there for safety reasons. 892 00:45:57,480 --> 00:46:01,920 I never let health OR safety get between me and a mountain of chips. 893 00:46:03,400 --> 00:46:06,440 Ash. Please, don't... Don't... 894 00:46:06,440 --> 00:46:09,160 Sam, come round here. Come round here. 895 00:46:11,000 --> 00:46:15,720 Luckily, one of our crew's cameras can get us a closer look. 896 00:46:15,720 --> 00:46:17,320 Sam, take that up, son. 897 00:46:17,320 --> 00:46:18,600 Let's have a look. 898 00:46:22,040 --> 00:46:23,720 Look at that - lovely stuff. 899 00:46:23,720 --> 00:46:26,000 They're a bit paler than what I thought they'd be 900 00:46:26,000 --> 00:46:27,240 coming out of the cooker. 901 00:46:27,240 --> 00:46:29,520 At this stage, we've not actually fully cooked them, 902 00:46:29,520 --> 00:46:31,600 because that's what you do at home. 903 00:46:31,600 --> 00:46:33,960 - Part-cooked? - Yeah. - Makes sense, 904 00:46:33,960 --> 00:46:36,200 because obviously you get them on the tray at home, in the oven 905 00:46:36,200 --> 00:46:37,400 and then you finish them off. 906 00:46:37,400 --> 00:46:40,240 - Yeah. - So after that, where are they going to? 907 00:46:40,240 --> 00:46:42,080 So they're going into the freezer. 908 00:46:42,080 --> 00:46:44,440 Sam, move along a bit, son. Move along a bit. 909 00:46:46,440 --> 00:46:48,880 They're going into the freezer. Beautiful. 910 00:46:48,880 --> 00:46:52,360 - Right. Shall we crack on, Ash, get to the next bit? - Yeah, let's go. 911 00:46:52,360 --> 00:46:54,360 There's a cat up in a tree outside. 912 00:46:54,360 --> 00:46:56,560 Go and give it a lift. Right, come on. 913 00:47:00,160 --> 00:47:02,760 The sky-high chips are 95 degrees Celsius 914 00:47:02,760 --> 00:47:06,240 when they travel into the freezer. 915 00:47:06,240 --> 00:47:07,960 But, after 15 minutes... 916 00:47:14,520 --> 00:47:18,200 ..they emerge at a chilly -18 degrees. 917 00:47:19,960 --> 00:47:21,880 And I've not packed me extra socks. 918 00:47:24,360 --> 00:47:28,040 Oh, my days, Ash! 919 00:47:30,520 --> 00:47:33,400 I definitely know we're in the frozen section! 920 00:47:33,400 --> 00:47:35,600 Well, there they are, pal. 921 00:47:35,600 --> 00:47:39,120 Frozen chips, exactly as I know them. 922 00:47:39,120 --> 00:47:41,560 How long are we in the process now, then? 923 00:47:41,560 --> 00:47:45,320 So, we're about an hour and 35 minutes into the process now. 924 00:47:45,320 --> 00:47:47,760 So these are now oven-ready chips? 925 00:47:47,760 --> 00:47:50,320 These are all oven-ready, yeah. 926 00:47:50,320 --> 00:47:54,360 Which leads me on nicely to a mate of mine, Ruth. 927 00:47:54,360 --> 00:47:59,160 She's done a history of the gas oven. 928 00:47:59,160 --> 00:48:02,360 I can tell the way you look at me you've got electric. Let's go. 929 00:48:06,760 --> 00:48:10,360 Before the 19th century most people cooked on fire, 930 00:48:10,360 --> 00:48:13,960 whether it was a coal-fired range or an open hearth. 931 00:48:15,000 --> 00:48:18,320 But with the arrival of a brand-new fuel 932 00:48:18,320 --> 00:48:21,280 our kitchens would change forever. 933 00:48:23,400 --> 00:48:25,200 And that fuel was gas. 934 00:48:25,200 --> 00:48:29,560 I've come to what remains of Fakenham gasworks in Norfolk, 935 00:48:29,560 --> 00:48:33,080 an industrial relic from the Victorian era, 936 00:48:33,080 --> 00:48:35,720 to meet engineering historian... 937 00:48:35,720 --> 00:48:38,480 - Hello, Ruth. Pleased to meet you. - Hello! 938 00:48:38,480 --> 00:48:39,680 ..Dr Nina Baker. 939 00:48:40,840 --> 00:48:42,520 What a place. 940 00:48:43,840 --> 00:48:47,320 Oh, Nina. This is fabulous! 941 00:48:47,320 --> 00:48:50,680 You often hear that word, don't you, "the gasworks". 942 00:48:50,680 --> 00:48:52,360 This is a gasworks? 943 00:48:52,360 --> 00:48:56,320 This was how gas was made for over 100 years here. 944 00:48:56,320 --> 00:48:59,040 What we're looking at is a load of ovens. 945 00:48:59,040 --> 00:49:02,680 They were known as retorts and they were full of coal 946 00:49:02,680 --> 00:49:06,160 and they were heated up without much oxygen 947 00:49:06,160 --> 00:49:08,360 so that the coal gave off a mixture 948 00:49:08,360 --> 00:49:11,000 of hydrogen and carbon monoxide 949 00:49:11,000 --> 00:49:14,520 that was used to make what was known then as town gas. 950 00:49:14,520 --> 00:49:17,680 So all these pipes are collecting the fumes that are coming off? 951 00:49:17,680 --> 00:49:18,840 Yeah. 952 00:49:22,880 --> 00:49:24,680 Unlike natural gas, 953 00:49:24,680 --> 00:49:27,680 which forms over millions of years underground, 954 00:49:27,680 --> 00:49:31,320 this man-made gas was stored 955 00:49:31,320 --> 00:49:35,080 in distinctive ring-shaped gasholders 956 00:49:35,080 --> 00:49:37,200 which, by the 1820s, 957 00:49:37,200 --> 00:49:40,800 were a common sight in most large towns and cities. 958 00:49:42,080 --> 00:49:43,960 It was piped underground 959 00:49:43,960 --> 00:49:45,560 to light factories, 960 00:49:45,560 --> 00:49:48,320 streets and, by the 1840s, 961 00:49:48,320 --> 00:49:49,920 homes as well. 962 00:49:51,000 --> 00:49:52,840 So gas lighting becomes, 963 00:49:52,840 --> 00:49:56,400 for a short period, THE form of modern lighting? 964 00:49:56,400 --> 00:49:58,640 Absolutely. It really takes off 965 00:49:58,640 --> 00:50:01,320 and suddenly everybody's got gas in their home. 966 00:50:01,320 --> 00:50:03,840 And once you've got gas for lights 967 00:50:03,840 --> 00:50:06,600 then people start thinking, "Well, what else can you do with gas?" 968 00:50:06,600 --> 00:50:08,720 Or, "How else can we sell gas to you?" 969 00:50:10,120 --> 00:50:14,520 By the 1880s, an invention that could really boost gas sales 970 00:50:14,520 --> 00:50:17,280 was gradually becoming more available - 971 00:50:17,280 --> 00:50:18,720 the gas oven. 972 00:50:18,720 --> 00:50:21,280 - All these cookers. - Oh, look at all these cookers! 973 00:50:22,960 --> 00:50:27,160 Gas manufacturers like London's Gas Light and Coke Company knew 974 00:50:27,160 --> 00:50:31,680 that if people embraced gas cookers they could sell more gas. 975 00:50:33,280 --> 00:50:34,560 The problem was, most people 976 00:50:34,560 --> 00:50:38,680 were very comfortable with their solid fuel stoves. 977 00:50:38,680 --> 00:50:41,400 If you'd cooked on a coal-burning range, 978 00:50:41,400 --> 00:50:44,440 you would recognise the cast iron. You might not have any idea 979 00:50:44,440 --> 00:50:47,000 how to use the gas, but it would look like a cooker. 980 00:50:47,000 --> 00:50:50,560 It has this little oven with gas flames at the back... 981 00:50:50,560 --> 00:50:51,840 LAUGHTER 982 00:50:51,840 --> 00:50:53,880 ..and you could hang your Sunday roast. 983 00:50:53,880 --> 00:50:57,160 Or you can use it to bake a cake in the traditional way. 984 00:50:59,160 --> 00:51:03,040 The cookers were connected to gas piped into the home, 985 00:51:03,040 --> 00:51:05,800 providing an instant flame and offering 986 00:51:05,800 --> 00:51:09,400 the potential to replace dusty coal-fired cooking - 987 00:51:09,400 --> 00:51:13,840 if would-be customers could get past their fears. 988 00:51:13,840 --> 00:51:16,560 There was concerns about whether the gas 989 00:51:16,560 --> 00:51:21,040 would make the food taste weird, about safety. 990 00:51:21,040 --> 00:51:24,000 Why were the people so worried about it, then? 991 00:51:24,000 --> 00:51:26,200 You've got to control the flame more constantly, 992 00:51:26,200 --> 00:51:30,280 that you can go away and leave coal but you can't really with the gas. 993 00:51:30,280 --> 00:51:32,680 Everybody knew gas was dangerous - 994 00:51:32,680 --> 00:51:34,520 that it could gas you 995 00:51:34,520 --> 00:51:36,560 and that it might explode. 996 00:51:38,520 --> 00:51:40,120 Gas companies were desperate 997 00:51:40,120 --> 00:51:44,640 to reassure the public that careful use of gas was safe 998 00:51:44,640 --> 00:51:48,400 and that cooking with it was the future. 999 00:51:48,400 --> 00:51:51,200 With uptake still slow, they took action 1000 00:51:51,200 --> 00:51:54,480 and in 1888 put the call-out to a group of women 1001 00:51:54,480 --> 00:51:58,200 who would become known as "lady demonstrators". 1002 00:52:00,200 --> 00:52:03,080 Here we have the International Gas Exhibition 1003 00:52:03,080 --> 00:52:04,600 at Earl's Court 1004 00:52:04,600 --> 00:52:09,080 and a lady demonstrator on the Imperial Stove Co's stand. 1005 00:52:09,080 --> 00:52:12,160 And these were well-known cooks of the period, 1006 00:52:12,160 --> 00:52:14,800 often with published cookery books. 1007 00:52:14,800 --> 00:52:16,880 And they did tours of different parts 1008 00:52:16,880 --> 00:52:19,920 of the country giving cookery demonstrations. 1009 00:52:21,400 --> 00:52:24,240 The gas companies realised that, at the time, 1010 00:52:24,240 --> 00:52:26,560 it was women who ran the home 1011 00:52:26,560 --> 00:52:28,080 and who better to convince them 1012 00:52:28,080 --> 00:52:31,240 of this new technology than other women? 1013 00:52:31,240 --> 00:52:34,760 So, part of the convincing was to get the lady demonstrators 1014 00:52:34,760 --> 00:52:36,520 to talk to the housewives direct 1015 00:52:36,520 --> 00:52:39,120 and show them how to use the gas cookers 1016 00:52:39,120 --> 00:52:42,200 and show them that their sponge cake wouldn't be spoilt. 1017 00:52:42,200 --> 00:52:44,880 - So this is women talking to women... - Absolutely, yes. 1018 00:52:44,880 --> 00:52:47,000 - ..and that's part of the point of it? - Yeah. 1019 00:52:48,680 --> 00:52:50,280 But these women were using skills 1020 00:52:50,280 --> 00:52:54,000 that far exceeded a basic cooking demo. 1021 00:52:54,000 --> 00:52:55,400 The lady demonstrators 1022 00:52:55,400 --> 00:52:58,000 had to have quite a bit of technical knowledge. 1023 00:52:58,000 --> 00:53:00,200 The gas company in your area would send 1024 00:53:00,200 --> 00:53:02,520 a lady demonstrator to visit the home 1025 00:53:02,520 --> 00:53:05,840 and she would show you how to dismantle the cookers. 1026 00:53:05,840 --> 00:53:09,840 So there was physics, all about how the gas actually was made, 1027 00:53:09,840 --> 00:53:12,840 how it worked, how the cooker worked. 1028 00:53:12,840 --> 00:53:15,800 By taking on roles traditionally reserved for men, 1029 00:53:15,800 --> 00:53:19,000 these women - soon known as lady demons - 1030 00:53:19,000 --> 00:53:23,640 helped to sweep aside typical gender stereotypes. 1031 00:53:23,640 --> 00:53:26,480 And this is a socially acceptable way 1032 00:53:26,480 --> 00:53:29,640 for women in the early part of the 20th century 1033 00:53:29,640 --> 00:53:32,520 to be interested in scientific subjects. 1034 00:53:32,520 --> 00:53:34,680 Yeah, absolutely. 1035 00:53:34,680 --> 00:53:37,040 The role of the housewife was changing 1036 00:53:37,040 --> 00:53:40,520 and the lady demonstrators really made a difference. 1037 00:53:42,520 --> 00:53:44,680 The demos helped to break down barriers 1038 00:53:44,680 --> 00:53:46,680 for women in the workplace, 1039 00:53:46,680 --> 00:53:49,600 but the strategy also worked for the gas companies. 1040 00:53:50,840 --> 00:53:54,160 So convincing were the lady demons that, by 1920, 1041 00:53:54,160 --> 00:53:57,960 new applications for a home gas supply had trebled. 1042 00:54:00,440 --> 00:54:02,480 Gas ovens are everywhere. 1043 00:54:02,480 --> 00:54:05,000 - People stopped being frightened. - They did. 1044 00:54:05,000 --> 00:54:09,280 And it was the technical women that really changed it. 1045 00:54:09,280 --> 00:54:12,960 Clearly, there was nothing to beat women talking to women. 1046 00:54:12,960 --> 00:54:14,840 Here we all are with our gas cookers. 1047 00:54:17,600 --> 00:54:20,040 Lady demons cooking on gas. 1048 00:54:21,160 --> 00:54:25,200 Right, where's my mate Cherry? She's in here somewhere. I know she is. 1049 00:54:26,320 --> 00:54:29,080 Hey, excuse me. I'm looking for Cherry Healey. 1050 00:54:29,080 --> 00:54:30,920 Don't know if you've seen her. 1051 00:54:30,920 --> 00:54:33,120 She's about that tall, very chatty. 1052 00:54:33,120 --> 00:54:35,080 No. I'll find her. 1053 00:54:39,800 --> 00:54:44,600 My chips have been frozen at -18 Celsius. 1054 00:54:44,600 --> 00:54:47,400 Now it's a race against time to get them bagged up. 1055 00:54:49,200 --> 00:54:51,920 As they hurtle towards the packing area, 1056 00:54:51,920 --> 00:54:54,920 they cascade into 11 weighing machines, 1057 00:54:54,920 --> 00:54:59,120 each measuring a 1kg portion of chips 1058 00:54:59,120 --> 00:55:01,880 before they drop down to meet Cherry - 1059 00:55:01,880 --> 00:55:04,440 our very own lady demonstrator. 1060 00:55:05,680 --> 00:55:07,960 Oh, the bagging machine. 1061 00:55:07,960 --> 00:55:09,240 - It's amazing how they... - So, Paddy, 1062 00:55:09,240 --> 00:55:11,360 I spent a bit of time in the packing room 1063 00:55:11,360 --> 00:55:13,040 and they've talked me through how it works. 1064 00:55:13,040 --> 00:55:16,080 So, they've weighed the chips upstairs. 1065 00:55:16,080 --> 00:55:18,200 1kg. It falls down. 1066 00:55:18,200 --> 00:55:21,360 It's this, like, never-ending stream of packaging. 1067 00:55:21,360 --> 00:55:25,800 This machine cuts it and seals it. 65 bags a minute. 1068 00:55:25,800 --> 00:55:29,200 And then it goes down onto the conveyor belt and off it goes. 1069 00:55:29,200 --> 00:55:31,320 And do you know what the best bit is? 1070 00:55:31,320 --> 00:55:33,160 You know how much I love air fryers. 1071 00:55:33,160 --> 00:55:34,800 - Come with me. - Right. 1072 00:55:34,800 --> 00:55:37,000 So, on the bag it says you can 1073 00:55:37,000 --> 00:55:39,240 air-fry them as well as oven-cook them. 1074 00:55:40,560 --> 00:55:41,720 I... 1075 00:55:41,720 --> 00:55:43,200 I've nothing to add. 1076 00:55:44,560 --> 00:55:45,920 Right, I'll go and brew up. 1077 00:55:47,760 --> 00:55:50,480 Does she ever take a breath? Anyhow. 1078 00:55:52,840 --> 00:55:55,320 Our freshly-bagged frozen chips are loaded, 1079 00:55:55,320 --> 00:55:58,600 12 bags at a time, into cardboard boxes... 1080 00:56:00,080 --> 00:56:02,320 ..stacked onto pallets 1081 00:56:02,320 --> 00:56:03,880 and sent to dispatch, 1082 00:56:03,880 --> 00:56:06,280 where, after several subtle hints, 1083 00:56:06,280 --> 00:56:11,000 Ashley has finally sorted me out with a nice, thick jacket. 1084 00:56:11,000 --> 00:56:14,200 Without stating the obvious, Ash, 1085 00:56:14,200 --> 00:56:16,200 - it's freezing in here. - It is. 1086 00:56:16,200 --> 00:56:18,320 In here, we'll be at -18. 1087 00:56:18,320 --> 00:56:20,720 Minus... It feels it! 1088 00:56:20,720 --> 00:56:22,160 So, the whole point of this now 1089 00:56:22,160 --> 00:56:25,200 is it needs to stay frozen, cos now the chips are frozen. 1090 00:56:25,200 --> 00:56:27,960 There's nobody around. Is it fully automated? 1091 00:56:27,960 --> 00:56:30,160 Yeah, so everything is automatic. 1092 00:56:30,160 --> 00:56:33,000 The pallets come in on automatic tracks. 1093 00:56:33,000 --> 00:56:36,800 It then fills up to a full load, which is 26 pallets, 1094 00:56:36,800 --> 00:56:40,040 and then it's automatically pushed onto the trailer. 1095 00:56:40,040 --> 00:56:42,600 How many are we putting on the back of that one? 1096 00:56:42,600 --> 00:56:44,280 1.7 million. 1097 00:56:44,280 --> 00:56:46,880 Brown sauce Mike said, when I first met him, 1098 00:56:46,880 --> 00:56:48,400 two hours in total. 1099 00:56:48,400 --> 00:56:49,760 Where are we up to now? 1100 00:56:49,760 --> 00:56:51,440 We're bang-on the two-hour mark. 1101 00:56:53,440 --> 00:56:54,880 {\an8}Good man. And I like that - 1102 00:56:54,880 --> 00:56:57,200 {\an8}no gloves on - proper. 1103 00:56:57,200 --> 00:57:00,800 Normally, it's a...bloke with a pallet truck. 1104 00:57:00,800 --> 00:57:03,880 Pump truck. Is there a button? How do we get them going? 1105 00:57:03,880 --> 00:57:06,160 - I'll give the signal. - All right, OK. 1106 00:57:07,400 --> 00:57:08,800 High-tech - love it. 1107 00:57:19,280 --> 00:57:21,760 Right. Thank you very much, Ash. 1108 00:57:21,760 --> 00:57:24,320 But, as it's absolutely freezing in here, 1109 00:57:24,320 --> 00:57:28,560 how's about we get in the canteen and get those chips warmed up? 1110 00:57:28,560 --> 00:57:30,000 Come on. Off you go. 1111 00:57:35,120 --> 00:57:38,120 Well, they said it would take two hours and, 1112 00:57:38,120 --> 00:57:40,040 bang-on the dot, 1113 00:57:40,040 --> 00:57:43,840 1.7 million oven chips are leaving the factory 1114 00:57:43,840 --> 00:57:45,320 near Scarborough... 1115 00:57:47,040 --> 00:57:49,400 ..heading out across the UK to be enjoyed 1116 00:57:49,400 --> 00:57:52,360 with everything from sausages and beans 1117 00:57:52,360 --> 00:57:53,880 to pies and pasties... 1118 00:57:55,040 --> 00:57:57,000 ..and I can't wait to try some. 1119 00:57:58,280 --> 00:58:00,960 Look at this, Paddy - a great big bowl of chips. 1120 00:58:00,960 --> 00:58:03,560 Oh, the fruits of our labour! 1121 00:58:03,560 --> 00:58:05,120 Do you know what? 1122 00:58:05,120 --> 00:58:06,720 It's what the country were built on. 1123 00:58:06,720 --> 00:58:10,280 Oh! So fluffy inside. Mmm! 1124 00:58:10,280 --> 00:58:11,360 HE LAUGHS 1125 00:58:11,360 --> 00:58:13,000 I've been waiting to do that all day. 1126 00:58:13,000 --> 00:58:14,080 You know what's missing? 1127 00:58:15,720 --> 00:58:17,560 - Ketchup. - Ketchup. - Yeah, baby. 1128 00:58:19,440 --> 00:58:21,000 Let's go get some. 1129 00:58:21,000 --> 00:58:25,200 the chip shop swears he's Elvis 1130 00:58:26,640 --> 00:58:30,200 that you'd be true 1131 00:58:32,360 --> 00:58:36,120 the chip shop swears he's Elvis 1132 00:58:38,000 --> 00:58:41,320 and I'm not sure about you 1133 00:58:43,120 --> 00:58:46,840 and I'm not sure about you.