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- * MTV
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[upbeat pop-rock music]
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00:00:06,333 --> 00:00:08,767
- We are a nation of snackers.
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00:00:08,900 --> 00:00:10,233
- Over the next 24 hours,
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00:00:10,367 --> 00:00:13,367
we will get through
1/2 a billion crisps.
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- That takes
over 17 million potatoes a day
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grown and harvested on UK farms
like this one in Hampshire.
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- Tonight, we'll reveal
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00:00:26,300 --> 00:00:28,467
just what it takes
to produce crisps
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00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:30,833
on such a mind-boggling scale.
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- As we give you a rare look
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00:00:32,867 --> 00:00:36,367
inside the largest
crisp factory on Earth.
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- I'm Gregg Wallace.
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Bring her in!
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And tonight I'll join the race
to keep up with demand
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for our favorite snack.
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That's a packet of crisps?
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[laughs]
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How does it do it that fast?
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00:00:52,767 --> 00:00:56,433
I'll meet the supertasters
testing every new flavor.
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00:00:56,567 --> 00:00:57,533
- There is a sourness.
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- What, like curd?
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- It's a bit like baby sick.
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- And reveal the tricks
this factory uses
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to keep your crisps fresh.
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00:01:05,233 --> 00:01:07,700
In every bag of crisps
is a bag of nitrogen?
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00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:10,067
- I'm Cherry Healey.
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That smells really good.
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00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:15,967
And I'll discover the secrets
of the perfect crisp potato.
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Why are they so dark?
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- Because they have
a lot of sugar
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which has caramelized.
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- And the surprising ways
your brain can be tricked
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into tasting something
that's not there.
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- It's really tricky.
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00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:30,200
- I thought I knew
a lot about crisps.
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00:01:30,300 --> 00:01:32,067
- Historian
Ruth Goodman uncovers
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who really invented the crisp.
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- We are gonna have
to rethink crisp history.
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- I love this! I wanna ride
down this in a kayak!
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We spend more on crisps than
anywhere else in Europe.
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- Every day over
five million packets of crisps
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fly out of this one factory.
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It's an incredible feat
of logistics and engineering.
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- You'll never look
at a humble packet of crisps
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in the same way again.
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- Welcome
to "Inside The Factory."
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[upbeat music continues]
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[word thudding]
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[majestic rock music]
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- This is Walker's in
Leicester,
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the biggest crisp factory
in the world.
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The crisp has gone
through something
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00:02:36,267 --> 00:02:38,300
of a gourmet revolution
over the last few years
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and you can now get
all sorts of posh flavors
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from langoustine and lemon
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to white Stilton
and cranberry relish.
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But tonight, we are following
the nation's biggest seller,
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cheese and onion.
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Which is a bit
of a disappointment to me
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because I'm very much
a prawn cocktail man.
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More than 40% of the crisps
eaten in Britain
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00:03:01,300 --> 00:03:03,767
come out of this one factory.
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00:03:03,867 --> 00:03:06,433
It runs around the clock,
seven days a week.
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00:03:07,500 --> 00:03:10,033
But whether they are
making ready salted
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or something a bit more exotic,
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the 24-hour production process
begins on the farm
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with the right spud.
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00:03:18,900 --> 00:03:21,133
Almost all crisps
produced in the UK
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are made with British potatoes.
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The most popular varieties
are Markies,
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Lady Rosetta, and Hermes.
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[upbeat music]
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The process of making
our crisps starts here
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on the Hampshire potato farm
of Gavin Janaway
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whose family have been growing
crisp spuds since the 1970s.
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These will be going
to the crisp factory
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later on today.
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- Have they just been dug
or have they been in store?
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- No, these have been
in store now
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for about six months.
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- We keep them
at the right temperature,
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the right humidity
with fresh air going in there
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because a potato is a living,
breathing thing.
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You know, we've gotta try
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00:03:55,133 --> 00:03:56,267
and keep it happy
and keep it warm
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00:03:56,367 --> 00:03:57,633
so it produces a good crisp.
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- How do you know when they're
growing in the ground
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that they are gonna be
perfect for the crisp?
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You can't tell.
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00:04:02,367 --> 00:04:03,833
- Well, to try
and help us tell, Gregg,
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we've got our own little
frying facility on-site here,
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our little potato lab.
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00:04:08,833 --> 00:04:10,400
And we take samples
from the field
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throughout the growing season
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and throughout
the storage season
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and we take them through there
and we test them
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00:04:14,633 --> 00:04:15,867
and we actually
fry them ourselves.
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00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:17,267
So, I do my own little
"MasterChef,"
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00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:19,667
a little cooking myself, a
little bit of salt and pepper,
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just the right seasoning.
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00:04:21,467 --> 00:04:23,567
We test them to make sure
they're right for the factory.
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00:04:23,700 --> 00:04:24,933
If they're not ready
when we fry them at the field,
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we just give them
another couple of weeks
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and a bit of sunshine
and everything
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will help them mature.
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[bouncy upbeat music]
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- At any one time,
Gavin could be storing as many
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as 160 million potatoes
on his farm.
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When they get the order
through from the factory,
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the potatoes are fed into
one end of a production line
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which can sort, wash,
and load 27 tons of spuds
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onto a truck in less than
45 minutes.
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[potatoes clattering]
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Here we go. A nice big crate
of British spuds.
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How long before that lovely
spud
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becomes a cheese
and onion crisp?
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- That could be a cheese
and onion crisp
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00:05:03,633 --> 00:05:05,033
within six hours.
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00:05:05,167 --> 00:05:06,567
[upbeat indie-rock music]
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00:05:06,733 --> 00:05:09,833
- This is where our crisp
production line starts.
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00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:14,900
So, we're now just looking
for anything that's green
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or has got damage on it
or maybe a little shoot on it,
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00:05:17,167 --> 00:05:18,833
anything that may
affect the quality.
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00:05:20,433 --> 00:05:21,933
- So, take the sprouts off.
- Something like this.
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00:05:22,100 --> 00:05:24,500
This is damage that's been done
through harvesting,
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so that's mechanical damage,
that comes out.
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- There's another one.
- That comes out.
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Yeah, you won't beat him,
he's too quick.
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He's the fastest one here.
Nobody beats Gregosh.
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- It doesn't surprise me
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the best one here
is called Greg.
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[Gavin laughs]
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How often are you set up
like this?
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- This is set up all year
round.
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So we load any day
of the week all year round.
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- Hey, a green one!
I got that before Gregosh.
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How many potatoes
on a lorry load?
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- There's 27 tons.
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So I think that works out
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roughly 200,000
of packets of crisp
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in one lorry load.
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00:06:00,233 --> 00:06:01,300
- How many lorries go out?
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- A busy day would
be 10 lorries.
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00:06:03,333 --> 00:06:04,567
- So that means on a busy day
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you send out two million
bags of crisps.
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- Yeah.
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00:06:08,133 --> 00:06:09,400
[potatoes clattering]
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00:06:09,533 --> 00:06:11,433
[forklift beeping]
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00:06:11,567 --> 00:06:12,800
[upbeat indie-rock music]
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00:06:19,933 --> 00:06:21,100
- Have to admit,
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00:06:21,467 --> 00:06:23,300
I find potato shopping
a little bit daunting.
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There are so many
different varieties
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and I never know
which one to buy.
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In fact, there are more than
230 varieties
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of potato grown in the UK.
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About half of those will end up
in your produce aisle
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but the other varieties
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are used to make everything
from frozen waffles to vodka.
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00:06:45,133 --> 00:06:48,033
But which variety makes
the perfect crisps?
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To find out,
I'm heading to potato HQ,
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the National Agronomy Center
in Cambridge,
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where James Fowler
is a spud expert.
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- Ready to go in?
- It's ready to go.
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- Here we go.
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00:07:00,767 --> 00:07:02,967
- We're going to have
a crisp fry up
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00:07:03,100 --> 00:07:06,467
but with three very different
varieties of potato.
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I've brought some Maris Peers,
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a waxy new potato
great for salads,
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some King Edwards,
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a more floury potato
perfect for mashing,
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and James has got this one.
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- You won't have seen this one,
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Cherry, it's a specialist
crisping variety
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we're investigating
at the moment.
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We think it's gonna
make good crisps.
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- It's brand-new?
- Yeah.
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- It's a revolutionary potato.
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The first obvious difference
is the shape.
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Crisping varieties should
be predominantly round.
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Not long like this Maris Peer.
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If they're too small,
the crisps are too small
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and the bags look half empty
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and also there's a lot
more peeling waste
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when you process them.
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[upbeat pop music]
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- But the differences
are more than skin deep.
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When it comes to making crisps,
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there are three key parts
of a potato,
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water, which makes up about
80% of the average spud,
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starch, and tiny amounts
of natural sugar.
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00:08:02,267 --> 00:08:05,533
Using a hydrometer, you can
tell how much water there is.
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00:08:05,667 --> 00:08:08,267
My two potatoes
are about 80% water
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00:08:08,367 --> 00:08:12,833
but a good crisp
potato has only 75%.
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The less water, the better
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because you need to get
rid of almost all of it
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to make a crisp.
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00:08:17,933 --> 00:08:19,667
Now the fun bit.
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Now we fry all three potatoes
in exactly the same way.
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00:08:25,100 --> 00:08:26,900
- The water is boiling off.
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00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:28,433
- And that's what's causing
all this steam?
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00:08:28,567 --> 00:08:29,567
- That's right.
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00:08:29,933 --> 00:08:32,667
- If there's more water
in a potato
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when it goes to the factory,
you get more steam.
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00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:37,200
- And fewer crisps.
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00:08:37,567 --> 00:08:38,900
- That's not what you want
if you're making crisps.
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00:08:40,100 --> 00:08:43,000
But when it comes
to making light, golden crisps
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00:08:43,100 --> 00:08:47,733
on an industrial scale,
the biggest enemy is sugar.
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00:08:47,867 --> 00:08:48,900
Wow.
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00:08:50,233 --> 00:08:52,500
Why are they so dark?
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00:08:52,633 --> 00:08:53,867
- Because they have
a lot of sugar
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00:08:54,267 --> 00:08:56,333
which has caramelized
and produced the dark color.
213
00:08:56,467 --> 00:08:58,300
- The King Edwards
have less sugar
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00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:00,333
and so are noticeably lighter.
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00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:04,400
Finally, we fry the
specialist crisp potatoes
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00:09:04,500 --> 00:09:07,067
at the same temperature
as the other two.
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00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:09,700
Not only do they cook
much faster,
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00:09:09,833 --> 00:09:11,600
they look completely different.
219
00:09:11,700 --> 00:09:13,200
- They look better.
- Wow!
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00:09:13,300 --> 00:09:16,233
So those are much more
familiar.
221
00:09:16,333 --> 00:09:18,267
- Well, less sugar.
- Less sugar.
222
00:09:18,367 --> 00:09:20,167
- Less sugar,
there's no color development.
223
00:09:20,300 --> 00:09:22,067
- The subtle
differences of potatoes
224
00:09:22,167 --> 00:09:23,333
might not matter much
225
00:09:23,500 --> 00:09:25,133
if you're just having
a fry up at home
226
00:09:25,267 --> 00:09:27,333
but for the nation's
biggest crisp makers
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00:09:27,433 --> 00:09:30,200
making tens of millions
of them every day,
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00:09:30,333 --> 00:09:33,133
the science of spuds
is everything.
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00:09:33,233 --> 00:09:34,800
[munching]
Mmm!
230
00:09:36,133 --> 00:09:37,933
[upbeat electro-rock music]
231
00:09:49,900 --> 00:09:50,900
- Yeah!
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00:09:52,667 --> 00:09:54,167
Come on, bring her in!
233
00:09:57,700 --> 00:09:59,933
How many potatoes have we got
on there, do you know?
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00:10:00,067 --> 00:10:02,300
- There's about 200,000
potatoes on average.
235
00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:04,700
- And how many trucks
like that come in every day?
236
00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:07,200
- We get about 25
every single day,
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00:10:07,333 --> 00:10:08,567
24 hours a day.
238
00:10:08,967 --> 00:10:10,933
So, that's about five million
potatoes every day.
239
00:10:11,033 --> 00:10:12,733
- How many potatoes
240
00:10:13,833 --> 00:10:16,600
in one standard
packet of crisps?
241
00:10:16,733 --> 00:10:19,667
- Well, we're using about
five million potatoes every day
242
00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:22,233
and we're making about
five million packets every day.
243
00:10:22,367 --> 00:10:24,300
- That's a packet of crisps?
244
00:10:24,433 --> 00:10:25,500
- Dead right.
245
00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:27,800
- I love this.
I absolutely love it.
246
00:10:29,433 --> 00:10:32,067
Potatoes are much more delicate
than they might seem
247
00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:33,733
and can easily bruise.
248
00:10:33,867 --> 00:10:38,033
So, the best way to get
200,000 spuds off a lorry?
249
00:10:38,133 --> 00:10:39,633
Float them off.
250
00:10:39,733 --> 00:10:41,667
Fire her up! Let's go!
251
00:10:41,767 --> 00:10:43,200
[water rushing]
252
00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:47,067
Yay!
253
00:10:47,167 --> 00:10:50,133
That's a fair amount
of water there, old son.
254
00:10:50,233 --> 00:10:53,567
They basically flood
the compartment of the truck
255
00:10:53,700 --> 00:10:56,400
and the potatoes just come out
with the water.
256
00:10:56,533 --> 00:10:57,533
- Exactly right.
257
00:11:03,833 --> 00:11:06,267
But that now
is a very wet potato.
258
00:11:06,367 --> 00:11:08,200
I mean, that is gonna start
to deteriorate.
259
00:11:08,333 --> 00:11:09,967
You can't keep potatoes
in water.
260
00:11:10,100 --> 00:11:13,767
- No, so, time is of the
essence but in 35 minutes,
261
00:11:13,900 --> 00:11:15,533
it's gonna be
in a packet of crisps.
262
00:11:15,633 --> 00:11:19,000
- Just over half an hour
and you turn that into crisps.
263
00:11:19,133 --> 00:11:21,733
I can't make chips in that
time.
264
00:11:21,833 --> 00:11:22,933
[water splashing]
265
00:11:27,300 --> 00:11:29,067
[upbeat pop-rock music]
266
00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:32,600
[potatoes rattling]
267
00:11:33,833 --> 00:11:36,867
When you're dealing with
five million potatoes a day,
268
00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:39,400
you need an efficient
way of peeling them.
269
00:11:41,633 --> 00:11:44,067
And here, in the world's
biggest crisp factory,
270
00:11:44,167 --> 00:11:47,367
they have to peel more
than 2,000 every minute.
271
00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:51,667
To do that, you need some
hardcore potato peelers.
272
00:11:53,567 --> 00:11:55,033
[potatoes whooshing]
273
00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:57,767
- We're using a thing called
abrasion peeling here.
274
00:11:57,900 --> 00:11:58,933
Something that your grandma
275
00:11:59,300 --> 00:12:00,500
actually might've had
in her kitchen.
276
00:12:01,067 --> 00:12:04,033
We're spinning the potatoes
round against a rough surface,
277
00:12:04,133 --> 00:12:05,533
a little bit like sandpaper,
278
00:12:05,667 --> 00:12:09,133
and just removing
a small amount of that peel
279
00:12:09,267 --> 00:12:12,633
to leave a clean potato
ready for the next process.
280
00:12:12,733 --> 00:12:14,967
- That's quite
an aggressive rumble.
281
00:12:15,100 --> 00:12:18,000
You cannot only see it, you can
feel it under your feet.
282
00:12:18,133 --> 00:12:19,967
How do you know you've
peeled them all properly?
283
00:12:20,100 --> 00:12:22,733
Because even if I do
half a bag of potatoes,
284
00:12:22,833 --> 00:12:24,367
sometimes I might miss a bit.
285
00:12:24,500 --> 00:12:27,633
- We've got a whole series
of digital cameras here
286
00:12:27,767 --> 00:12:30,233
and they are looking
at every single potato.
287
00:12:30,367 --> 00:12:31,667
- It photographs
every single one?
288
00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:33,200
- Every single one.
289
00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:35,767
To the side here, you can see
what looks a little bit like
290
00:12:35,867 --> 00:12:38,600
a piano keyboard,
a series of fingers.
291
00:12:38,700 --> 00:12:40,100
If we get a bad
potato coming through,
292
00:12:40,233 --> 00:12:41,467
you'll hear a gust of air
293
00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:42,533
[machine thuds]
294
00:12:42,833 --> 00:12:44,267
and that will kick
that potato out,
295
00:12:44,400 --> 00:12:45,800
that will be rejected.
296
00:12:45,900 --> 00:12:47,733
- That's a bit nuts, mate.
297
00:12:47,867 --> 00:12:48,867
[machine thuds]
298
00:12:49,133 --> 00:12:51,833
[laughs]
How does it do it that fast?
299
00:12:51,933 --> 00:12:53,100
[machine thuds]
300
00:12:57,867 --> 00:13:01,267
My potato is about to be
sliced and fried
301
00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:02,800
and turned into a crisp.
302
00:13:03,100 --> 00:13:06,467
A process that will be repeated
five million times today.
303
00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:09,833
But who first did it?
Who invented the crisp?
304
00:13:09,933 --> 00:13:12,400
That's a question Ruth
Goodman's trying to answer.
305
00:13:12,500 --> 00:13:14,100
And it's not as simple
as it sounds.
306
00:13:14,233 --> 00:13:16,233
- [gentle upbeat music]
- [birds chirping]
307
00:13:19,067 --> 00:13:20,367
- If you speak to Americans,
308
00:13:20,733 --> 00:13:23,900
they will tell you that they
invented the crisp in 1853.
309
00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:28,333
And that it's down to a man
called George Crum,
310
00:13:28,433 --> 00:13:30,633
a chef who was working
in a country club
311
00:13:30,767 --> 00:13:32,000
in New York state.
312
00:13:32,133 --> 00:13:34,367
The story goes
that the chef Crum
313
00:13:34,467 --> 00:13:36,833
had a particularly
difficult customer,
314
00:13:36,967 --> 00:13:38,433
a wealthy industrialist,
315
00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:42,967
who kept sending his chips back
saying they weren't thin
enough.
316
00:13:44,700 --> 00:13:46,167
George got so fed up in the end
317
00:13:46,267 --> 00:13:47,933
that he decided
to make the chips
318
00:13:48,067 --> 00:13:50,633
so thin that they
would be inedible
319
00:13:50,733 --> 00:13:53,500
and then he covered
them in salt.
320
00:13:53,633 --> 00:13:56,933
Much to his surprise,
the customer loved them.
321
00:13:57,067 --> 00:13:59,667
So much so, that he put them
on the menu.
322
00:13:59,767 --> 00:14:03,367
But for me, there's something
fishy about this story.
323
00:14:03,467 --> 00:14:07,000
We've been cooking
potatoes for 200 years
324
00:14:07,133 --> 00:14:09,700
before the Americans claimed
to have invented the crisp.
325
00:14:09,833 --> 00:14:13,833
Surely we'd come up with
a similar recipe before then.
326
00:14:13,967 --> 00:14:15,300
[gentle rock music]
327
00:14:16,667 --> 00:14:18,133
To get to the bottom
of this mystery
328
00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:21,433
and find out once and for all
who invented the crisp,
329
00:14:21,533 --> 00:14:24,067
I'm meeting food historian
Regina Sexton
330
00:14:24,167 --> 00:14:26,367
to plot the history
of the humble crisp.
331
00:14:27,567 --> 00:14:32,133
- The potato is in England
by the 1580s, the 1590s,
332
00:14:32,267 --> 00:14:34,967
is looked upon
as an exotic thing.
333
00:14:35,100 --> 00:14:36,600
So, it's something desirable,
334
00:14:36,733 --> 00:14:39,367
a plant for people
to have in their gardens.
335
00:14:39,500 --> 00:14:40,567
- Gradually, potatoes
336
00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:43,000
moved from being
just a specimen plant
337
00:14:43,133 --> 00:14:45,533
to become something
that we started to eat
338
00:14:45,633 --> 00:14:46,767
and by the 18th century,
339
00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:49,567
they had become
the staple of the Irish poor.
340
00:14:49,667 --> 00:14:51,767
Soon they were eating
an astonishing
341
00:14:51,867 --> 00:14:55,700
12 to 14 pounds
per person per day.
342
00:14:56,833 --> 00:14:58,867
I can hardly even lift that.
343
00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:00,800
That is a huge amount of
potato.
344
00:15:00,933 --> 00:15:02,000
- It is.
345
00:15:02,133 --> 00:15:03,100
- But that's it.
346
00:15:03,433 --> 00:15:05,033
That's the only thing
you eat all day?
347
00:15:05,167 --> 00:15:06,500
- Yeah.
348
00:15:06,833 --> 00:15:09,467
- As Britain's population
exploded in the 19th century,
349
00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:12,433
the potato became
a culinary mainstay.
350
00:15:12,567 --> 00:15:14,467
One of the most popular
Victorian cookery books
351
00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:16,967
was William Kitchener's
"The Cook's Oracle,"
352
00:15:17,067 --> 00:15:19,000
first published in 1817.
353
00:15:19,100 --> 00:15:21,500
- This book, in fact,
was a bestseller in its day.
354
00:15:21,633 --> 00:15:22,933
- Really?
- I love this.
355
00:15:23,333 --> 00:15:25,633
"The vegetable kingdom affords
no food more wholesome,
356
00:15:25,733 --> 00:15:27,833
"more easily procured,
easily prepared
357
00:15:27,933 --> 00:15:30,567
"or less expensive
than the potato."
358
00:15:30,700 --> 00:15:32,333
- It's packed
with potato recipes
359
00:15:32,467 --> 00:15:34,933
including one that's
quite familiar.
360
00:15:36,133 --> 00:15:38,967
"Potatoes fried in slices
or shavings."
361
00:15:39,100 --> 00:15:41,000
- Now, that's
a really interesting recipe
362
00:15:41,133 --> 00:15:42,400
if you read through it.
363
00:15:42,533 --> 00:15:44,133
- "Fry them in lard or dripping
364
00:15:44,233 --> 00:15:46,600
"and keep moving them
until they are crisp."
365
00:15:46,733 --> 00:15:47,633
- Crisp.
366
00:15:47,967 --> 00:15:49,067
- What date did you say
this was?
367
00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:52,067
- 1817.
- 1817.
368
00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:54,367
So, that's quite
a bit before 1853
369
00:15:54,467 --> 00:15:55,400
when the Americans say
370
00:15:55,633 --> 00:15:57,033
they invented the crisp,
isn't it?
371
00:15:57,167 --> 00:15:58,067
- Yes, it is.
372
00:15:58,200 --> 00:15:59,167
So, if we cook this
373
00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:02,133
and it really turns out
to be a crisp,
374
00:16:02,267 --> 00:16:05,800
then we are gonna have
to rethink crisp history.
375
00:16:05,933 --> 00:16:07,167
- I think we might have to.
376
00:16:07,300 --> 00:16:08,767
[upbeat folk-rock music]
377
00:16:08,900 --> 00:16:10,100
- The only way to find out
378
00:16:10,433 --> 00:16:13,300
if this really is the very
first recipe for crisps,
379
00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:15,267
36 years before it was claimed
380
00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:18,000
that George Crumb invented
them in America,
381
00:16:18,133 --> 00:16:20,200
is to try out the recipe
for ourselves.
382
00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:23,700
- So, "Peel large potatoes.
383
00:16:23,833 --> 00:16:28,233
"Cut it into little slices
about 1/4 of an inch thick."
384
00:16:28,333 --> 00:16:30,267
- Lard to go in there.
- Yeah.
385
00:16:32,267 --> 00:16:34,833
- "Put it on a quick fire."
A fairly hot fire.
386
00:16:37,333 --> 00:16:38,933
They look like
they're cooking nice.
387
00:16:39,067 --> 00:16:41,367
They've gone pale,
they're rising to the top.
388
00:16:41,500 --> 00:16:43,333
- Excellent.
- Bubbling like crazy.
389
00:16:43,467 --> 00:16:45,967
- "Keep moving them
till they are crisp."
390
00:16:46,100 --> 00:16:48,300
- Oh, that's puffing up
a little bit there.
391
00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:49,933
Smells lovely.
392
00:16:50,033 --> 00:16:52,567
- "Take them up and let them
drain in your sieve."
393
00:16:55,333 --> 00:16:58,533
Okay. "A very little salt
sprinkled over them."
394
00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:01,000
- Yeah.
395
00:17:01,367 --> 00:17:02,467
- They smell like crisps,
don't they?
396
00:17:02,500 --> 00:17:04,033
- They do, yeah.
- [laughing]
397
00:17:04,133 --> 00:17:05,733
More salt. [munching]
398
00:17:08,167 --> 00:17:11,467
It looks like a crisp.
It smells like a crisp.
399
00:17:11,567 --> 00:17:14,200
It tastes like a crisp.
That is a crisp.
400
00:17:17,500 --> 00:17:20,767
So, would you say
that the invention of the crisp
401
00:17:20,900 --> 00:17:24,767
is definitely before
the American story?
402
00:17:24,867 --> 00:17:25,833
- Certainly.
403
00:17:25,967 --> 00:17:27,233
If you do this recipe,
404
00:17:27,367 --> 00:17:30,100
you produce fried
slices of potatoes
405
00:17:30,233 --> 00:17:31,500
that are certainly crisp.
406
00:17:32,900 --> 00:17:36,500
- So it looks like us Brits
really did invent the crisp.
407
00:17:42,567 --> 00:17:44,967
[upbeat pop music]
408
00:17:45,100 --> 00:17:46,667
- Back at our factory
in Leicester,
409
00:17:46,767 --> 00:17:49,067
our potatoes have been
cleaned and peeled
410
00:17:49,167 --> 00:17:50,533
and are now heading
for the knife.
411
00:17:52,167 --> 00:17:55,633
The first step is to make sure
they're all the right size.
412
00:17:57,200 --> 00:18:00,500
So, what we've got here
are our potatoes
413
00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:01,700
and they're getting presented
414
00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:03,933
across the top
of this screw deck.
415
00:18:04,067 --> 00:18:05,267
And as you can see,
416
00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:07,133
the smaller ones
are falling through,
417
00:18:07,267 --> 00:18:09,967
they don't need cutting,
they're already the right size.
418
00:18:10,100 --> 00:18:11,967
But there's a few
that are coming through.
419
00:18:12,100 --> 00:18:13,133
They're a little bit bigger
420
00:18:14,333 --> 00:18:15,933
and they are heading
for the guillotine.
421
00:18:16,067 --> 00:18:18,533
So, we're gonna cut
those potatoes in half.
422
00:18:18,667 --> 00:18:21,100
- So the French peasant
small potatoes
423
00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:22,433
are falling through the holes,
424
00:18:22,633 --> 00:18:24,900
the aristocracy is going
across the top here
425
00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:26,100
to meet Madame Guillotine.
426
00:18:27,767 --> 00:18:29,633
Can you tell in a bag of crisps
427
00:18:29,767 --> 00:18:31,333
whether you have got crisps
that come from a hole
428
00:18:31,433 --> 00:18:32,833
or a cut potato?
429
00:18:32,967 --> 00:18:34,467
- I'm gonna let you
into a secret,
430
00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:36,433
which is if you look
at those crisps,
431
00:18:36,567 --> 00:18:38,300
if it's got a straight edge,
432
00:18:38,433 --> 00:18:40,400
it's been halved
on a machine like this.
433
00:18:40,500 --> 00:18:41,633
- I'll have a look
when I get home.
434
00:18:41,733 --> 00:18:42,700
- Very good.
435
00:18:43,100 --> 00:18:44,000
- So, now we've got
the right size,
436
00:18:44,100 --> 00:18:45,133
are they gonna be sliced?
437
00:18:45,267 --> 00:18:46,200
- We're ready to slice.
438
00:18:46,333 --> 00:18:47,267
- How long have you got left?
439
00:18:47,633 --> 00:18:48,967
You've got about
20 odd minutes left.
440
00:18:49,100 --> 00:18:50,433
[upbeat pop-rock music]
441
00:18:55,567 --> 00:18:58,133
Next, my spuds take
the conveyor belt
442
00:18:58,267 --> 00:19:01,267
up to some of the fastest
potato slicers on Earth.
443
00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:04,467
Inside these machines,
there is a drum
444
00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:06,600
spinning at very high speed.
445
00:19:06,700 --> 00:19:09,000
When the potatoes
are dropped into the drum,
446
00:19:09,100 --> 00:19:11,833
the centrifugal force
flings them to the outside
447
00:19:11,933 --> 00:19:15,500
where an average potato
is cut into 45 slices
448
00:19:15,633 --> 00:19:17,167
in around 0.2 of a second.
449
00:19:19,533 --> 00:19:20,500
Wow!
450
00:19:20,633 --> 00:19:21,800
That's unbelievable!
451
00:19:24,367 --> 00:19:27,467
It's all done by eight
hardened steel razor blades
452
00:19:27,567 --> 00:19:29,433
which constantly need changing
453
00:19:29,567 --> 00:19:32,200
and that job falls
to Sudhir Raval.
454
00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:35,133
That's incredibly ingenious.
455
00:19:35,467 --> 00:19:37,800
As that spins really fast,
the potatoes...
456
00:19:37,933 --> 00:19:39,667
But they stay on the outside
of the drum.
457
00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:40,767
- That's right.
458
00:19:41,167 --> 00:19:43,000
And as they turn round, they...
Wow!
459
00:19:43,100 --> 00:19:45,600
There are 33 slicers
throughout this factory
460
00:19:45,700 --> 00:19:49,600
and they get through almost
2,000 blades every day.
461
00:19:49,700 --> 00:19:51,900
You never actually
touch the blade,
462
00:19:52,033 --> 00:19:53,067
you use the magnet.
463
00:19:53,467 --> 00:19:55,367
I wanna be the razor blade
salesman here.
464
00:19:55,500 --> 00:19:56,833
[upbeat pop-rock music]
465
00:20:00,767 --> 00:20:02,267
Can I check my slices?
466
00:20:02,367 --> 00:20:04,500
- Yes, we can do.
- I've done a good job there.
467
00:20:06,167 --> 00:20:07,967
The slices are
constantly checked
468
00:20:08,100 --> 00:20:09,300
to make sure they're being cut
469
00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:11,733
to precisely
the right thickness.
470
00:20:11,833 --> 00:20:13,000
[upbeat rock music]
471
00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:15,233
Then they're off.
472
00:20:15,467 --> 00:20:18,167
Racing down a giant
river of potato.
473
00:20:18,267 --> 00:20:19,733
[water rushing]
474
00:20:21,233 --> 00:20:24,167
I love this. I wanna ride down
this in a kayak.
475
00:20:27,167 --> 00:20:29,533
- Now, the water you
can see here is milky
476
00:20:29,667 --> 00:20:31,133
and that's because
it contains starch.
477
00:20:31,267 --> 00:20:32,500
The starch has come
out of the action
478
00:20:32,633 --> 00:20:34,100
of cutting the slice.
479
00:20:34,233 --> 00:20:36,533
- Water taking the starch out.
480
00:20:36,667 --> 00:20:39,133
Another spray of water
to wash more starch out,
481
00:20:39,267 --> 00:20:41,200
another bath to get
the starch out,
482
00:20:41,333 --> 00:20:42,567
and another spray.
483
00:20:42,700 --> 00:20:45,200
And that is to stop them
being so starchy
484
00:20:45,333 --> 00:20:47,067
that they stick together
as a clump.
485
00:20:47,167 --> 00:20:48,133
Is that right?
486
00:20:48,233 --> 00:20:49,367
- Absolutely right.
487
00:20:49,733 --> 00:20:51,000
- I can guarantee they're
the right thickness.
488
00:20:51,533 --> 00:20:53,300
I've been up there changing
the blades and measuring them.
489
00:20:55,367 --> 00:20:58,133
What you can see here,
they go through the hairdryer
490
00:20:58,233 --> 00:20:59,933
and what we are looking for
491
00:21:00,033 --> 00:21:02,567
is we talk about the slices
dancing a little bit.
492
00:21:02,700 --> 00:21:04,100
So they're bouncing around
493
00:21:04,467 --> 00:21:06,533
and that means there's just the
right amount of air pressure
494
00:21:06,667 --> 00:21:08,300
to just dry that slice out
just enough.
495
00:21:10,567 --> 00:21:13,300
- Now my slices
are ready to be fried.
496
00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:16,900
The factory has seven
mammoth industrial fryers
497
00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:19,233
running 24 hours a day.
498
00:21:19,367 --> 00:21:21,467
They're filled with
a blend of rapeseed oil
499
00:21:21,600 --> 00:21:25,733
and sunflower oil trucked
in from southern Europe.
500
00:21:25,833 --> 00:21:28,233
All major crisp manufacturers
in the UK
501
00:21:28,367 --> 00:21:31,833
now use sunflower oil instead
of traditional cooking oil
502
00:21:31,967 --> 00:21:35,067
as it contains less
saturated fat.
503
00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:37,433
What temperature?
Am I allowed to ask?
504
00:21:37,533 --> 00:21:39,733
So, it's around 180 degrees C
505
00:21:39,867 --> 00:21:41,100
but we'll move that
up a little bit
506
00:21:41,367 --> 00:21:43,933
and down a little bit
according to the potato.
507
00:21:44,067 --> 00:21:46,033
So, we'll make adjustments
to the temperature
508
00:21:46,133 --> 00:21:47,833
and also to the time.
509
00:21:47,933 --> 00:21:49,400
It's around three minutes
510
00:21:49,533 --> 00:21:51,333
but we'll adjust it according
to the product.
511
00:21:51,467 --> 00:21:54,933
- So, those potatoes,
that I watched come in,
512
00:21:55,033 --> 00:21:56,800
you will adjust the temperature
513
00:21:56,933 --> 00:21:59,100
to cook those differently
to the others?
514
00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:00,267
- Exactly right.
515
00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:02,600
- As they fry,
516
00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:05,467
the water inside our
potato slices is boiled off
517
00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:07,667
and replaced
with some of that oil.
518
00:22:09,033 --> 00:22:10,333
An individual bag of crisps
519
00:22:10,467 --> 00:22:13,567
has just over 1/2
a tablespoon of oil in it,
520
00:22:13,700 --> 00:22:15,400
which means these fryers
are getting through
521
00:22:15,533 --> 00:22:18,600
tens of thousands
of liters of oil a day
522
00:22:18,733 --> 00:22:21,100
and need to be topped
up continuously.
523
00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:26,967
That is the most crisps
I have ever seen in one place
524
00:22:27,100 --> 00:22:28,333
and I've been to a few parties.
525
00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:30,067
These haven't got a flavor
on yet, have they?
526
00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:31,133
- Nothing.
- No. Nothing at all.
527
00:22:31,467 --> 00:22:34,133
This is pure
unadulterated crisp.
528
00:22:34,233 --> 00:22:36,700
- I've never had a pure
unadulterated crisp.
529
00:22:36,833 --> 00:22:38,833
- Would you like to go fishing
for crisps?
530
00:22:41,900 --> 00:22:43,533
I'm gonna test your knowledge.
531
00:22:43,667 --> 00:22:44,600
What's special about that
crisp?
532
00:22:44,700 --> 00:22:46,200
- Oh! That's been cut.
533
00:22:46,300 --> 00:22:47,267
Yes!
534
00:22:47,433 --> 00:22:48,667
- You've been paying attention.
535
00:22:48,767 --> 00:22:49,933
- Hot crisps.
536
00:22:51,733 --> 00:22:52,833
- You've never tasted better.
537
00:22:55,900 --> 00:22:56,900
- Lovely crunch.
538
00:22:58,400 --> 00:22:59,767
Needs a little bit of salt,
mate.
539
00:23:01,033 --> 00:23:02,167
I don't suppose you've
thought of that.
540
00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:08,033
[upbeat indie-rock music]
541
00:23:09,700 --> 00:23:10,867
Back in Leicester,
542
00:23:11,233 --> 00:23:13,033
we're a little over four hours
into the process.
543
00:23:14,233 --> 00:23:16,033
My crisps have just
come out of the fryer
544
00:23:16,133 --> 00:23:17,533
and before they can be
seasoned,
545
00:23:17,667 --> 00:23:18,867
they have to be inspected.
546
00:23:19,933 --> 00:23:21,767
Every single one of them.
547
00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:25,667
Tell me how you can look
at every single crisp.
548
00:23:25,767 --> 00:23:28,533
- Inside here you can see
the bright light
549
00:23:28,633 --> 00:23:30,500
and we have a digital camera
550
00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:32,800
which is inspecting
every single crisp
551
00:23:32,933 --> 00:23:34,967
- passing the crossing.
- How fast is that going?
552
00:23:35,067 --> 00:23:39,533
- That machine is handling
450 crisps every second.
553
00:23:39,633 --> 00:23:42,800
And then the machine
is making a decision to say,
554
00:23:42,900 --> 00:23:47,300
"Yes, it's good,"
or, "No, I'm gonna reject it."
555
00:23:47,433 --> 00:23:50,600
It's using a fine jet
of compressed air.
556
00:23:50,700 --> 00:23:51,733
- Hang on, hang on, hang on!
557
00:23:53,033 --> 00:23:56,167
At 450 crisps a second,
558
00:23:56,300 --> 00:23:58,167
the machine
is taking photographs
559
00:23:58,300 --> 00:24:00,467
and then directing a jet of air
560
00:24:00,567 --> 00:24:02,733
to knock them off
the production line?
561
00:24:02,833 --> 00:24:04,733
- Exactly right.
562
00:24:04,833 --> 00:24:07,033
- I can see the crisps dropping
563
00:24:07,167 --> 00:24:09,000
but they look like
they're just falling.
564
00:24:09,100 --> 00:24:10,500
They're actually
being knocked off
565
00:24:10,633 --> 00:24:13,633
by a computer-directed jet
of air.
566
00:24:13,767 --> 00:24:15,233
That's James Bond, that is.
567
00:24:15,333 --> 00:24:17,300
And there's an evil genius
sitting somewhere
568
00:24:17,433 --> 00:24:18,900
that devises all this?
569
00:24:19,033 --> 00:24:20,433
Is he's stroking a white cat?
570
00:24:20,533 --> 00:24:21,833
[Simon laughs]
571
00:24:21,933 --> 00:24:23,367
- So, this is all about color.
572
00:24:23,500 --> 00:24:24,733
So, it's looking for a color
573
00:24:24,867 --> 00:24:25,933
that you wouldn't
want in the bag.
574
00:24:27,133 --> 00:24:28,567
- As Cherry discovered earlier,
575
00:24:28,700 --> 00:24:31,000
if a potato contains
too much sugar,
576
00:24:31,133 --> 00:24:33,933
that sugar will caramelize
as it's fried
577
00:24:34,067 --> 00:24:35,833
giving the crisps a brown
color.
578
00:24:37,333 --> 00:24:38,633
But it's kind
of not fair, is it?
579
00:24:38,767 --> 00:24:41,533
Because some farmers'
batch of potatoes
580
00:24:41,633 --> 00:24:44,733
might have less reject crisps
than others
581
00:24:44,833 --> 00:24:46,933
or am I getting,
like, too pernickety?
582
00:24:47,033 --> 00:24:48,600
- Well, we would love
all our farmers
583
00:24:48,700 --> 00:24:50,500
to produce great quality
584
00:24:50,633 --> 00:24:51,867
so we recognize that.
585
00:24:52,267 --> 00:24:55,000
So, for the best potatoes,
we pay a quality bonus.
586
00:24:55,100 --> 00:24:57,467
- So every batch of potatoes
that come in, mine as well,
587
00:24:57,600 --> 00:24:58,633
all right, everybody gets it,
588
00:24:58,867 --> 00:24:59,933
the farmer knows
what he's gonna get.
589
00:25:00,500 --> 00:25:02,967
But if they get less rejects,
they get a bit more?
590
00:25:03,100 --> 00:25:05,367
- Exactly. Because we're making
a few more bags of crisps.
591
00:25:05,500 --> 00:25:07,700
- I bet mine were perfect.
You can pay me in cash.
592
00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:08,967
[Simon laughs]
593
00:25:09,067 --> 00:25:10,567
[upbeat indie-rock music]
594
00:25:13,833 --> 00:25:18,500
My potato slices have been
dried, fried, and scrutinized
595
00:25:19,667 --> 00:25:21,900
and now they're finally
ready to be flavored.
596
00:25:24,267 --> 00:25:28,700
They travel on a system
of vibrating conveyors,
597
00:25:28,833 --> 00:25:31,033
which is the only way
to move crisps quickly
598
00:25:31,133 --> 00:25:32,667
without breaking them,
599
00:25:32,900 --> 00:25:37,367
and eventually arrive at one
of 23 giant seasoning drums.
600
00:25:39,100 --> 00:25:40,133
- Welcome to seasoning.
601
00:25:43,233 --> 00:25:46,633
- That aroma
is instantly recognizable
602
00:25:46,767 --> 00:25:49,167
to anyone who's ever
opened a bag
603
00:25:49,267 --> 00:25:50,933
of cheese and onion crisps.
604
00:25:51,033 --> 00:25:52,800
That's quite incredible.
605
00:25:52,933 --> 00:25:54,233
What's happening exactly?
606
00:25:55,300 --> 00:25:57,367
- What you can see
before you is this drum
607
00:25:57,467 --> 00:25:59,067
and what we're using
the drum to do
608
00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:01,467
is to gently tumble those
crisps
609
00:26:01,567 --> 00:26:04,100
so that we get a perfect
coating of the seasoning
610
00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:06,133
on both sides of the crisp.
611
00:26:06,267 --> 00:26:08,233
You can see behind,
we've got a powder.
612
00:26:08,367 --> 00:26:11,000
So we're dropping it,
sprinkling it across the crisp.
613
00:26:11,133 --> 00:26:13,767
- So, when I open
a packet of crisps,
614
00:26:13,900 --> 00:26:16,633
what percentage
of it now is potato
615
00:26:16,767 --> 00:26:19,167
and what percentage
is seasoning?
616
00:26:19,267 --> 00:26:20,400
What's the ratio?
617
00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:22,367
- Yeah, well, in the case
of cheese and onion,
618
00:26:22,467 --> 00:26:25,033
we put about 6% of cheese
619
00:26:25,167 --> 00:26:27,400
and onion seasoning
on our crisps.
620
00:26:29,233 --> 00:26:31,133
- I love the fact...
Can you kneel a little bit?
621
00:26:31,267 --> 00:26:34,633
'Cause I like having my crisps
served on a silver tray,
622
00:26:34,733 --> 00:26:35,733
still warm.
623
00:26:40,433 --> 00:26:42,267
That's a flavor and a texture
624
00:26:42,367 --> 00:26:44,467
that I've actually
grown up with.
625
00:26:44,567 --> 00:26:45,700
You know what I fancy
now though, don't you?
626
00:26:45,800 --> 00:26:46,767
Is a pint of beer.
627
00:26:46,900 --> 00:26:48,133
[Simon laughs]
628
00:26:48,233 --> 00:26:49,433
The time between now
629
00:26:49,567 --> 00:26:51,533
and getting them in a bag
must be crucial.
630
00:26:51,633 --> 00:26:52,900
- Absolutely.
631
00:26:53,300 --> 00:26:55,667
So, from here to a bag
is only about three minutes.
632
00:26:55,800 --> 00:26:57,967
It's a crisp superhighway,
isn't it?
633
00:26:58,067 --> 00:26:59,133
[upbeat indie-rock music]
634
00:27:00,833 --> 00:27:04,500
They get through more than
450 boxes of seasoning
635
00:27:04,633 --> 00:27:06,333
every day in this place.
636
00:27:06,467 --> 00:27:09,533
It's all made off-site
by large seasoning houses.
637
00:27:09,667 --> 00:27:13,400
But what surprised me is that
almost every new crisp flavor
638
00:27:13,533 --> 00:27:17,767
this factory comes up with
starts off as a real dish,
639
00:27:17,900 --> 00:27:21,167
cooked by a real chef
here in the factory.
640
00:27:21,300 --> 00:27:23,767
Ben Barlow is in charge
of the development kitchen.
641
00:27:24,833 --> 00:27:26,667
He's invited me in to taste
some of the dishes
642
00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:27,967
his team are cooking up
643
00:27:28,133 --> 00:27:30,400
as they develop
new crisp flavors.
644
00:27:30,500 --> 00:27:32,867
- A lot of the flavor
actually is the batter.
645
00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:34,033
- I'm helping him develop
646
00:27:34,233 --> 00:27:36,633
a new cheesy beans
on toast flavor.
647
00:27:36,733 --> 00:27:38,100
- Make one that you wanna eat
648
00:27:38,500 --> 00:27:40,133
and I'll make one that I think
the public will wanna eat.
649
00:27:40,267 --> 00:27:41,567
- All right.
What are they, chef?
650
00:27:41,700 --> 00:27:42,733
- They are homemade ones.
651
00:27:44,100 --> 00:27:46,367
I wanna put a little bit
of Parmigiano on it.
652
00:27:46,500 --> 00:27:48,167
It can take over a year
to develop
653
00:27:48,300 --> 00:27:49,567
and launch a new flavor.
654
00:27:49,700 --> 00:27:51,600
It all starts with
Ben and his team
655
00:27:51,733 --> 00:27:52,800
cooking up dozens,
656
00:27:53,133 --> 00:27:55,400
sometimes hundreds,
of variations
657
00:27:55,533 --> 00:27:58,633
and then trying to identify
the subtle flavor difference
658
00:27:58,767 --> 00:27:59,833
in each one.
659
00:27:59,967 --> 00:28:01,167
- Here we go. So this is ours.
660
00:28:02,433 --> 00:28:04,300
We start breaking it down,
and that's what we do here.
661
00:28:04,433 --> 00:28:06,533
We break it down into each
of its taste components
662
00:28:06,667 --> 00:28:08,867
and then try and recreate
that on a crisp.
663
00:28:08,967 --> 00:28:11,667
Actually, start thinking
about cheesy beans on toast,
664
00:28:11,767 --> 00:28:12,767
it's quite complex.
665
00:28:15,167 --> 00:28:16,900
Just describe to me
the flavor journey.
666
00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:18,400
So, what are you getting first?
667
00:28:18,533 --> 00:28:20,167
What's starting
to come through second?
668
00:28:20,300 --> 00:28:21,300
- For me, first of all,
669
00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:23,400
the unmistakable
smokiness of paprika.
670
00:28:23,533 --> 00:28:28,833
Then, after that, straightaway
we're into the fruity richness,
671
00:28:28,967 --> 00:28:31,633
almost sweetness, of the beans.
672
00:28:31,767 --> 00:28:33,800
Yours did have
a cheese flavor, mine didn't.
673
00:28:33,933 --> 00:28:35,233
Once Ben's decided
674
00:28:35,567 --> 00:28:37,967
which version of cheesy beans
on toast is right,
675
00:28:38,067 --> 00:28:40,100
he then needs to have
that flavor produced
676
00:28:40,233 --> 00:28:42,000
on an industrial scale
677
00:28:42,100 --> 00:28:44,000
by Europe's largest
seasoning houses.
678
00:28:45,233 --> 00:28:48,067
But first, he has to describe
the specific taste
679
00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:49,700
he wants them to create.
680
00:28:49,867 --> 00:28:52,033
- I wanna say, "Right,
I wanna taste the beans first,
681
00:28:52,133 --> 00:28:54,500
"I then want some toast
and butter coming through,
682
00:28:54,633 --> 00:28:56,067
"and then I want it
to finish with cheese."
683
00:28:56,167 --> 00:28:58,067
[gentle pensive music]
684
00:28:58,167 --> 00:28:59,567
- At the seasoning house,
685
00:28:59,867 --> 00:29:03,100
a team of food scientists use
a complex combination
686
00:29:03,233 --> 00:29:06,300
of mainly natural
and some processed ingredients
687
00:29:06,433 --> 00:29:09,267
to match the flavor
Ben's described.
688
00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:10,333
Once they've got it right,
689
00:29:10,467 --> 00:29:12,467
it's produced in vast
quantities
690
00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:16,567
in 2 1/2 ton mixers
and trucked back to the factory
691
00:29:16,700 --> 00:29:19,033
where, in total,
they get through more than
692
00:29:19,133 --> 00:29:21,333
10 tons of seasoning a day.
693
00:29:22,767 --> 00:29:26,200
But before Ben's new flavors
get anywhere near the public,
694
00:29:26,333 --> 00:29:29,400
they have to get past
a panel of supertasters.
695
00:29:30,833 --> 00:29:32,500
- So, if we taste
sample E again.
696
00:29:33,900 --> 00:29:35,367
- Cheese note there,
isn't there?
697
00:29:35,467 --> 00:29:37,233
- Yeah.
- Feels like black pepper.
698
00:29:37,367 --> 00:29:39,233
- There's no burn, is there?
- That's quite smoky.
699
00:29:40,467 --> 00:29:42,900
- Every day, a group
of hand-picked
700
00:29:43,033 --> 00:29:46,567
specialist crisp tasters
meet to sample new flavors
701
00:29:46,667 --> 00:29:49,600
and check the existing
ones are up to scratch.
702
00:29:51,433 --> 00:29:52,433
- Hello, guys.
703
00:29:52,733 --> 00:29:54,067
- Hi, there.
- Mind if I join you?
704
00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:56,167
- Not at all.
- What are we doing?
705
00:29:56,300 --> 00:29:59,300
- We are looking at developing
a new flavor today.
706
00:29:59,433 --> 00:30:02,067
R&D want some feedback,
so let's get straight into it.
707
00:30:02,167 --> 00:30:04,000
If we taste sample A first.
708
00:30:06,333 --> 00:30:07,967
Getting quite
a strong tangy note.
709
00:30:08,100 --> 00:30:09,033
- Cheese.
- Perhaps cheese.
710
00:30:09,167 --> 00:30:10,500
- That's definitely cheese,
711
00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:11,900
but that's quite mild
712
00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:13,533
and it hasn't got
the tang of a cheddar.
713
00:30:13,633 --> 00:30:15,333
- Okay, so, what are
the key differences
714
00:30:15,433 --> 00:30:16,967
between samples A and B?
715
00:30:17,067 --> 00:30:18,933
- Heat.
- Heat and spices.
716
00:30:19,033 --> 00:30:20,800
- You're right,
it's got a spice finish.
717
00:30:20,933 --> 00:30:22,267
Stays on your tongue.
718
00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:24,000
- There is a sourness,
isn't there?
719
00:30:24,100 --> 00:30:25,433
- A dairy sourness
- A dairy sour.
720
00:30:25,567 --> 00:30:26,967
- What, like curd?
721
00:30:27,300 --> 00:30:30,233
- It's a bit like baby sick.
That butyric acid sort of
thing.
722
00:30:30,333 --> 00:30:32,067
- Well, either you've
tasted baby sick
723
00:30:32,200 --> 00:30:34,433
or you were a baby
a little while ago.
724
00:30:34,533 --> 00:30:35,933
I mean, I don't know
how you're getting that.
725
00:30:36,067 --> 00:30:37,133
[upbeat music]
726
00:30:37,533 --> 00:30:40,133
Any new flavor,
even a new potato variety,
727
00:30:40,267 --> 00:30:42,200
has got to get the okay
from this team
728
00:30:42,333 --> 00:30:44,200
before it goes any further.
729
00:30:44,333 --> 00:30:45,900
So, there are some
very influential
730
00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:47,200
tongues in this room.
731
00:30:47,333 --> 00:30:48,433
Is this your job?
732
00:30:48,567 --> 00:30:50,400
- This is my only job, yeah.
733
00:30:50,533 --> 00:30:52,967
- And are you proud
when you go to a party
734
00:30:53,100 --> 00:30:54,100
and people wanna
know what you do?
735
00:30:54,433 --> 00:30:56,067
- I am very proud, yes.
- [all laughing]
736
00:30:56,200 --> 00:30:57,200
- Is there any chance
your palates
737
00:30:57,333 --> 00:30:58,733
can kind of, like, run out?
738
00:30:58,833 --> 00:30:59,867
- Yeah, I think as
you get older--
739
00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:01,000
- Can change.
740
00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:02,367
- Your taste buds change,
definitely.
741
00:31:03,067 --> 00:31:05,700
- So, the guys are monitored
constantly to make sure
742
00:31:05,833 --> 00:31:08,233
that they can still taste
at the highest possible level.
743
00:31:08,333 --> 00:31:09,800
Thanks for your
years of service,
744
00:31:09,933 --> 00:31:12,933
but I'm afraid your palate
is all washed out.
745
00:31:13,067 --> 00:31:14,000
We've got you a watch.
746
00:31:14,133 --> 00:31:15,367
[all laughing]
747
00:31:15,767 --> 00:31:17,000
We were gonna have a party,
but what's the point?
748
00:31:17,033 --> 00:31:18,600
You can't taste the food.
749
00:31:18,733 --> 00:31:21,033
These professional tasters
are able to identify
750
00:31:21,167 --> 00:31:23,133
the most subtle of flavors,
751
00:31:23,233 --> 00:31:26,800
but, as Cherry is discovering,
our experience of food
752
00:31:26,933 --> 00:31:30,300
depends on a lot more
than just taste.
753
00:31:30,433 --> 00:31:32,500
- [birds cawing]
- [upbeat pop-rock music]
754
00:31:32,633 --> 00:31:34,433
- Have you ever wondered
why fish and chips
755
00:31:34,567 --> 00:31:38,033
taste so much better
by the seaside,
756
00:31:38,133 --> 00:31:42,500
why a whisky always
tastes better by the fire,
757
00:31:42,633 --> 00:31:46,333
or why wine you drink in France
just doesn't taste as good
758
00:31:46,467 --> 00:31:47,467
when you get home?
759
00:31:50,567 --> 00:31:53,500
Charles Spence is professor
of experimental psychology
760
00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:55,200
at Oxford University
761
00:31:55,333 --> 00:31:58,133
and his research has helped
uncover the answers.
762
00:31:59,333 --> 00:32:02,033
I'm hoping you can tell me
why fish and chips
763
00:32:02,133 --> 00:32:04,667
taste so much better
by the seaside.
764
00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:05,733
- Our brain, all the time,
765
00:32:06,133 --> 00:32:07,300
is picking up information
from around us
766
00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:09,367
and using it to infer
what we think we're tasting
767
00:32:09,500 --> 00:32:11,033
and how much we think
we're enjoying it.
768
00:32:11,167 --> 00:32:13,167
So, if we're eating those fish
and chips by the seaside,
769
00:32:13,300 --> 00:32:14,300
then you would imagine
770
00:32:14,667 --> 00:32:16,167
there's the smell
of the salty sea air,
771
00:32:16,300 --> 00:32:17,733
maybe the sound of the
seagulls.
772
00:32:17,867 --> 00:32:19,800
Making the leap
that the sea is just there,
773
00:32:19,933 --> 00:32:21,567
that fish is fresher.
774
00:32:21,700 --> 00:32:23,433
It's all really happening up
here in our head.
775
00:32:23,567 --> 00:32:25,200
And as your brain combines
all the senses
776
00:32:25,333 --> 00:32:26,733
and glues them together
777
00:32:26,933 --> 00:32:28,733
in ways that the science
is just starting to reveal.
778
00:32:28,833 --> 00:32:30,267
[upbeat electro-pop music]
779
00:32:30,533 --> 00:32:33,633
- Professor Spence uses
innovative lab experiments
780
00:32:33,767 --> 00:32:37,867
to investigate just how our
taste is influenced and
confused
781
00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:39,233
by our other senses.
782
00:32:41,033 --> 00:32:42,067
Now we are going
to test them out
783
00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:43,467
in the real world
784
00:32:43,633 --> 00:32:46,800
to find out what happens
when we eat crisps.
785
00:32:46,900 --> 00:32:48,533
Here, in the pubs of Brighton,
786
00:32:48,667 --> 00:32:52,433
we've got no shortage
of unsuspecting subjects.
787
00:32:52,533 --> 00:32:55,167
Would you do us a massive
favor and eat crisps?
788
00:32:55,300 --> 00:32:56,300
- Yeah.
789
00:32:56,567 --> 00:32:57,933
- First, we're going
to take away
790
00:32:58,067 --> 00:32:59,567
people's sense of smell
791
00:32:59,700 --> 00:33:02,000
to see if they can still
identify the flavor
792
00:33:02,100 --> 00:33:03,500
of a beef crisp.
793
00:33:03,633 --> 00:33:04,567
Can you smell anything?
794
00:33:04,867 --> 00:33:05,867
Can you give me a...
[sniffing]
795
00:33:06,467 --> 00:33:09,300
- I can't open my nose.
- Nose at all. Perfect.
796
00:33:09,333 --> 00:33:10,700
What flavor do you
think they are?
797
00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:13,300
It's really tricky.
798
00:33:13,433 --> 00:33:15,133
[Charles laughing]
799
00:33:15,267 --> 00:33:17,167
Are they a bit oniony?
800
00:33:17,300 --> 00:33:18,267
This is so weird.
801
00:33:18,367 --> 00:33:19,467
[upbeat electro-pop music]
802
00:33:20,833 --> 00:33:22,000
- What would you say
the flavor was?
803
00:33:22,133 --> 00:33:23,200
Maybe bacon, I think.
804
00:33:23,333 --> 00:33:24,333
- I'd say chicken.
805
00:33:24,467 --> 00:33:26,333
- Cheesy, cheese and onion.
806
00:33:26,467 --> 00:33:28,967
- It tastes just like
cardboard, no taste.
807
00:33:29,100 --> 00:33:30,367
- Take your nose clip off.
808
00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:33,200
I know, it's beef and onion.
809
00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:36,633
- Can you tell
the real flavor is?
810
00:33:36,767 --> 00:33:37,800
- It tastes beefy.
811
00:33:37,933 --> 00:33:39,133
- Beef, roast beef.
- Yes!
812
00:33:39,333 --> 00:33:40,867
So, did you notice
a significant change
813
00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:42,033
after you could smell?
814
00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:44,800
- Yeah, it was completely
different, yes.
815
00:33:44,833 --> 00:33:47,633
- No one we asked could
determine the flavor,
816
00:33:47,767 --> 00:33:50,233
proof that smell
is fundamental to taste.
817
00:33:50,333 --> 00:33:51,600
- We think we're tasting
things,
818
00:33:52,033 --> 00:33:53,500
we experience the taste
of the crisp in our mouth,
819
00:33:53,533 --> 00:33:55,500
but, in fact, maybe as much
as 75% to 95%
820
00:33:55,633 --> 00:33:58,100
of what we think we're tasting
is really coming from the nose.
821
00:33:58,233 --> 00:33:59,500
Every time you swallow,
822
00:33:59,633 --> 00:34:01,433
a little bit
of the volatile aromas
823
00:34:01,567 --> 00:34:02,667
that we've made in our mouth
824
00:34:03,033 --> 00:34:04,200
are kind of pushed out
of the back of the nose.
825
00:34:04,333 --> 00:34:05,933
[sniffing]
826
00:34:06,033 --> 00:34:07,933
And that is what we think
of as taste
827
00:34:08,033 --> 00:34:09,600
but it's really smell.
828
00:34:09,700 --> 00:34:11,633
[upbeat indie-rock music]
829
00:34:11,767 --> 00:34:14,167
- The next surprising
experiment aims to show
830
00:34:14,267 --> 00:34:15,933
that our enjoyment of crisps
831
00:34:16,067 --> 00:34:19,033
can be somehow influenced
by what we hear.
832
00:34:19,133 --> 00:34:20,833
- Gonna get you to put
some headphones on.
833
00:34:20,933 --> 00:34:23,833
- Can we convince people
that identical crisps
834
00:34:23,933 --> 00:34:25,933
have different crunchiness?
835
00:34:26,067 --> 00:34:27,167
- Close your eyes
and put your hand out
836
00:34:27,333 --> 00:34:28,733
and we'll give
you the first one.
837
00:34:28,867 --> 00:34:30,333
- They need to rate
the crunchiness
838
00:34:30,467 --> 00:34:32,500
on a scale of one to 100.
839
00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:35,200
- 60, maybe.
- 60? 50?
840
00:34:35,333 --> 00:34:37,833
- On the second identical
crisp,
841
00:34:37,967 --> 00:34:40,400
Professor Spence
now uses a computer
842
00:34:40,533 --> 00:34:41,833
to increase the volume
843
00:34:42,067 --> 00:34:44,967
of the high-pitched sounds
in the crisps crunch
844
00:34:45,067 --> 00:34:47,000
being fed into the headphones.
845
00:34:47,133 --> 00:34:49,967
- I think crunchier.
- Crunchier.
846
00:34:50,067 --> 00:34:51,567
- How much crunchier?
847
00:34:51,667 --> 00:34:53,600
- Hmm, quite a bit.
848
00:34:53,700 --> 00:34:55,700
So maybe a 90.
849
00:34:55,833 --> 00:34:58,467
- That's crispier,
I think. About 90.
850
00:34:58,600 --> 00:34:59,500
- 90?
851
00:34:59,633 --> 00:35:01,100
- 90.
- 90.
852
00:35:01,200 --> 00:35:02,567
- Like, an 80 or 90.
853
00:35:02,700 --> 00:35:05,700
- Ooh. Okay.
- So significantly crispier.
854
00:35:05,800 --> 00:35:08,733
- Are you surprised to know
that both of those crisps
855
00:35:08,833 --> 00:35:13,200
are from the same packet, both
exactly the same freshness?
856
00:35:13,333 --> 00:35:14,767
- I thought I knew
a lot about crisps
857
00:35:14,867 --> 00:35:15,900
but obviously not.
858
00:35:16,033 --> 00:35:17,600
[laughs]
859
00:35:17,700 --> 00:35:20,633
- Professor Spence's studies
show on average
860
00:35:20,767 --> 00:35:23,633
subjects believe it's around
15% crunchier
861
00:35:23,733 --> 00:35:25,267
when the sound is manipulated.
862
00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:26,900
- It did make a big difference.
863
00:35:27,033 --> 00:35:29,233
- The noise crisps make
when you eat them
864
00:35:29,333 --> 00:35:31,133
gives our brain information.
865
00:35:31,267 --> 00:35:34,500
Subconsciously we associate
the crispier crisps
866
00:35:34,633 --> 00:35:36,533
with being more appetizing.
867
00:35:36,667 --> 00:35:38,167
Think we're tasting
the crunchiness
868
00:35:38,300 --> 00:35:39,733
between our teeth
and in our mouth,
869
00:35:39,867 --> 00:35:41,200
but in fact, all the time,
870
00:35:41,600 --> 00:35:43,200
our brain is picking up
the sounds of crunch or crackle
871
00:35:43,333 --> 00:35:44,433
and those sounds
are very informative
872
00:35:44,567 --> 00:35:45,900
about what we're
actually tasting.
873
00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:47,300
Every time we crunch
into something,
874
00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:48,533
our ears hear those sounds,
875
00:35:48,833 --> 00:35:49,933
and depending
on the frequency spectrum,
876
00:35:49,967 --> 00:35:51,133
how loud the crunch,
877
00:35:51,667 --> 00:35:53,567
we use that to infer how crisp,
how fresh the food is.
878
00:35:54,633 --> 00:35:57,967
- From these experiments,
it's clear that smell
879
00:35:58,067 --> 00:36:01,500
and sound are critical
to our taste.
880
00:36:01,633 --> 00:36:03,600
So, next time you eat a crisp,
881
00:36:03,733 --> 00:36:06,733
stop to think about
how many different senses
882
00:36:06,867 --> 00:36:08,733
are influencing
your enjoyment of it.
883
00:36:10,167 --> 00:36:11,933
Or not. You gave me a stale
one.
884
00:36:12,033 --> 00:36:13,433
[upbeat music]
885
00:36:16,167 --> 00:36:17,433
[upbeat folk-rock music]
886
00:36:20,200 --> 00:36:22,367
- It's been less than
4 1/2 hours
887
00:36:22,467 --> 00:36:26,167
since my potatoes were sitting
on the farm in Hampshire.
888
00:36:26,267 --> 00:36:29,900
They've been peeled,
fried, seasoned,
889
00:36:30,033 --> 00:36:33,300
and now they just
need to go in a bag,
890
00:36:33,433 --> 00:36:36,267
which presents the next
challenge for this factory.
891
00:36:36,367 --> 00:36:39,300
How do you fill a bag
with an exact weight
892
00:36:39,433 --> 00:36:41,500
when no two crisps
are identical?
893
00:36:42,567 --> 00:36:46,700
The answer lies in one of the
craziest rooms I've seen.
894
00:36:46,800 --> 00:36:48,200
[upbeat whimsical music]
895
00:37:03,833 --> 00:37:05,700
Julie Biddles
is responsible for filling
896
00:37:05,833 --> 00:37:08,733
hundreds of thousands
of bags of crisps an hour.
897
00:37:09,933 --> 00:37:13,533
This is quite
an extraordinary room.
898
00:37:13,667 --> 00:37:14,767
- Yeah. Very good, isn't it?
899
00:37:15,167 --> 00:37:16,300
- I don't think anybody
ever would have seen
900
00:37:16,333 --> 00:37:17,400
anything quite like it, ever.
901
00:37:18,800 --> 00:37:20,567
How many of these things
are there in here?
902
00:37:20,700 --> 00:37:22,333
- There's 118.
903
00:37:22,433 --> 00:37:24,833
- 118 of these individual...
904
00:37:24,967 --> 00:37:28,200
And tell me, is each one
of these little buckets
905
00:37:28,333 --> 00:37:31,100
with the numbers on, is each
one of these a bag of crisps?
906
00:37:31,233 --> 00:37:32,267
- No.
907
00:37:32,667 --> 00:37:34,167
It's a weighing machine
and it will use
908
00:37:34,267 --> 00:37:36,433
three to four combinations
to make one bag
909
00:37:36,533 --> 00:37:38,800
but you might have
a little bit in each one
910
00:37:38,900 --> 00:37:40,267
to make up the 25 grams.
911
00:37:40,533 --> 00:37:42,700
- Inside this little bucket
now it's being weighed
912
00:37:42,833 --> 00:37:45,900
and then a computer will
choose a combination
913
00:37:46,033 --> 00:37:48,433
of four of these
to make up one bag.
914
00:37:48,533 --> 00:37:50,867
- Whichever the best
combination is to make that
weight.
915
00:37:50,967 --> 00:37:52,467
- And the computer
will quickly add up
916
00:37:52,567 --> 00:37:54,667
how many of those buckets
makes a 25-gram bag
917
00:37:54,767 --> 00:37:56,000
and shoot them down.
918
00:37:56,400 --> 00:37:59,300
- 30 milliseconds it takes
to calculate the weight
919
00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:00,900
and then it will drop it.
920
00:38:01,300 --> 00:38:04,067
- Every time we hear a click,
that's another bag of crisps.
921
00:38:04,200 --> 00:38:05,233
- That's a bag.
922
00:38:05,333 --> 00:38:06,633
[upbeat whimsical music]
923
00:38:08,400 --> 00:38:10,267
- And people must be eating
them
924
00:38:10,367 --> 00:38:12,533
at the same pace
as you're making them.
925
00:38:12,667 --> 00:38:16,167
So, every second,
a bag of crisps is being eaten.
926
00:38:17,567 --> 00:38:18,767
[machinery whirring]
927
00:38:20,100 --> 00:38:22,100
- 24 hours a day,
seven days a week.
928
00:38:24,700 --> 00:38:27,800
- We are a serious nation
of crisp munchers, aren't we?
929
00:38:27,933 --> 00:38:29,233
[upbeat indie-rock music]
930
00:38:32,133 --> 00:38:33,433
The instant they are weighed,
931
00:38:33,767 --> 00:38:35,633
the crisps drop through
the bottom of the machines
932
00:38:35,767 --> 00:38:37,867
into waiting bags below
933
00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:41,667
and it's all happening
hundreds of times a second.
934
00:38:45,533 --> 00:38:46,833
[upbeat indie-rock music]
935
00:38:48,900 --> 00:38:50,633
I wouldn't have believed
this was possible
936
00:38:50,733 --> 00:38:53,867
if I hadn't seen it myself,
but less than 30 minutes
937
00:38:53,967 --> 00:38:56,900
since my potatoes were sitting
on the back of a truck,
938
00:38:57,000 --> 00:38:59,667
they're now crisps in a bag.
939
00:38:59,767 --> 00:39:01,333
But before that bag is sealed,
940
00:39:01,433 --> 00:39:04,833
there's one last
surprising thing to be added.
941
00:39:04,967 --> 00:39:07,000
So, is that air you've
pumped into there then?
942
00:39:08,233 --> 00:39:11,300
- What we've got inside
the bag there is nitrogen.
943
00:39:11,433 --> 00:39:14,233
- That keeps it fresh.
- Really?
944
00:39:14,333 --> 00:39:16,133
- There's two main
constituents of air.
945
00:39:16,267 --> 00:39:19,567
One is oxygen, fantastic,
it keeps you alive,
946
00:39:19,700 --> 00:39:21,267
but it's the enemy of food.
947
00:39:21,367 --> 00:39:23,200
It would make our crisps
go stale.
948
00:39:23,333 --> 00:39:26,400
The other thing,
which is the majority of air,
949
00:39:26,533 --> 00:39:27,733
is a thing called nitrogen.
950
00:39:27,867 --> 00:39:29,967
We put nitrogen in the bag
951
00:39:30,100 --> 00:39:32,633
and that's the reason
you get that fresh taste
952
00:39:32,767 --> 00:39:34,400
every time you open a packet.
953
00:39:34,567 --> 00:39:38,367
- Every bag of crisps is a bag
of nitrogen, is that right?
954
00:39:38,467 --> 00:39:42,567
- It's a bag of crisps
full of nitrogen.
955
00:39:42,667 --> 00:39:44,833
- I'm taking for granted
that's safe, right?
956
00:39:44,967 --> 00:39:46,400
- Perfectly safe.
It's all around us.
957
00:39:46,600 --> 00:39:48,667
- So, oxygen deteriorates food,
right? I get that.
958
00:39:48,800 --> 00:39:49,733
- Got it.
959
00:39:49,867 --> 00:39:51,067
- But nitrogen doesn't,
960
00:39:51,467 --> 00:39:53,833
it will kind of keep it
in suspended animation.
961
00:39:53,933 --> 00:39:56,567
- Stable, yeah.
It preserves it for longer.
962
00:39:56,700 --> 00:39:59,333
- What would happen if you
didn't flush nitrogen through?
963
00:39:59,467 --> 00:40:01,900
What would happen, do you
think, if you just flushed air
into it?
964
00:40:03,133 --> 00:40:04,600
To try and answer this
question,
965
00:40:04,867 --> 00:40:08,533
Simon's got two bags of crisps,
both three months old.
966
00:40:08,667 --> 00:40:10,733
- Do you think I will know
the difference?
967
00:40:10,833 --> 00:40:13,733
One is a standard bag that
was filled with nitrogen
968
00:40:13,833 --> 00:40:15,767
and the other was
filled with normal air
969
00:40:15,867 --> 00:40:18,167
to see if I can
spot the difference.
970
00:40:18,267 --> 00:40:19,567
[gentle rock music]
971
00:40:25,233 --> 00:40:26,900
There's not a great deal
of discernible difference.
972
00:40:29,033 --> 00:40:31,300
- The best way to tell
is using your nose.
973
00:40:33,467 --> 00:40:35,067
- There's a difference.
- There's a difference.
974
00:40:35,267 --> 00:40:37,900
- Much. There's a difference
in the smell, most certainly.
975
00:40:38,033 --> 00:40:40,367
That, actually,
that one does smell of oil.
976
00:40:41,500 --> 00:40:43,000
[Simon chuckles]
977
00:40:43,133 --> 00:40:45,333
And that one smells
of cheese and onion.
978
00:40:45,467 --> 00:40:46,700
But they're both crisp.
979
00:40:47,067 --> 00:40:48,767
I mean, they're both crisp
and they both taste okay.
980
00:40:48,900 --> 00:40:52,333
But I'll give you it,
that one smells of oil.
981
00:40:52,433 --> 00:40:53,633
Well, we're passionate
about crisps.
982
00:40:53,767 --> 00:40:54,900
We notice the difference
983
00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:56,200
and we care about
the difference.
984
00:40:56,333 --> 00:40:57,567
[upbeat indie-rock music]
985
00:40:59,133 --> 00:41:01,633
- As well as helping
to preserve the crisps,
986
00:41:01,733 --> 00:41:04,100
the nitrogen also acts
as a cushion
987
00:41:04,233 --> 00:41:06,967
to protect them on their
journey to the shop's shelf.
988
00:41:08,467 --> 00:41:10,300
It's been less than 4 1/2 hours
989
00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:13,000
since I saw the spuds
being loaded into a truck
990
00:41:13,133 --> 00:41:16,167
and now my crisps are
heading for distribution.
991
00:41:16,300 --> 00:41:20,333
They've got to move more than
five million bags of crisps
992
00:41:20,433 --> 00:41:23,567
all over this gigantic
site every day,
993
00:41:23,667 --> 00:41:26,167
so forget about conveyor belts.
994
00:41:26,267 --> 00:41:27,533
[upbeat electro-rock music]
995
00:41:28,800 --> 00:41:31,000
Welcome to the crisp monorail.
996
00:41:36,600 --> 00:41:39,433
This computer-controlled system
snakes through
997
00:41:39,533 --> 00:41:41,500
the factory's
distribution center
998
00:41:41,633 --> 00:41:44,567
connecting the packing hall
with the loading bay.
999
00:41:46,567 --> 00:41:49,600
The distribution center
is monstrous,
1000
00:41:49,733 --> 00:41:52,733
more than 37,000 square meters,
1001
00:41:52,867 --> 00:41:55,700
larger than the Houses
of Parliament.
1002
00:41:55,800 --> 00:41:57,233
And from the control room,
1003
00:41:57,367 --> 00:42:01,267
Chris Neville can track
every single packet.
1004
00:42:01,400 --> 00:42:02,633
- From this nerve center here,
1005
00:42:03,033 --> 00:42:05,233
we can see all the pallets
moving around the site,
1006
00:42:05,333 --> 00:42:07,000
which ones are going
to which customers,
1007
00:42:07,100 --> 00:42:08,900
and we can also
track the vehicles.
1008
00:42:09,033 --> 00:42:10,667
This truck is going
to a customer
1009
00:42:10,767 --> 00:42:12,267
and do you see the blue arrows?
1010
00:42:12,367 --> 00:42:15,433
It should arrive
in about 40 minutes.
1011
00:42:15,533 --> 00:42:18,900
- The trucks not only deliver
crisps to supermarkets,
1012
00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:21,500
many will also then
collect potatoes
1013
00:42:21,600 --> 00:42:23,000
on the way back to the factory
1014
00:42:23,133 --> 00:42:26,400
and Chris knows where
they are at every stage.
1015
00:42:26,533 --> 00:42:28,400
So just take a potato, right?
1016
00:42:28,533 --> 00:42:29,567
One potato.
1017
00:42:29,867 --> 00:42:33,133
From the moment it leaves
that farm's gate,
1018
00:42:33,233 --> 00:42:34,667
all the way down to here,
1019
00:42:34,800 --> 00:42:37,067
and then through every process
1020
00:42:37,200 --> 00:42:40,067
and then back out again
as a cooked and flavored crisp,
1021
00:42:40,200 --> 00:42:44,000
all the way out to the shop
where I can buy it,
1022
00:42:44,100 --> 00:42:47,100
you track it minute by minute.
1023
00:42:47,233 --> 00:42:48,300
- Correct, yes.
1024
00:42:48,433 --> 00:42:50,033
- George Orwell predicted this.
1025
00:42:50,133 --> 00:42:51,767
[majestic rock music]
1026
00:42:51,900 --> 00:42:54,233
On average,
a truck loaded with crisps
1027
00:42:54,333 --> 00:42:56,500
will leave
this distribution center
1028
00:42:56,600 --> 00:42:58,700
every six minutes.
1029
00:42:58,800 --> 00:43:00,200
From the factory in Leicester,
1030
00:43:00,333 --> 00:43:02,500
they'll be delivered
all over the UK,
1031
00:43:02,633 --> 00:43:05,100
where the biggest crisp eaters
are in the northeast.
1032
00:43:05,233 --> 00:43:06,300
And amazingly,
1033
00:43:06,700 --> 00:43:08,433
some will even make it
to the Costa del Sol
1034
00:43:08,567 --> 00:43:10,067
to satisfy the ex-pat market.
1035
00:43:12,033 --> 00:43:15,200
Raw potatoes that were
on a farm just this morning
1036
00:43:15,300 --> 00:43:18,500
could be being eaten
as crisps as soon as tomorrow.
1037
00:43:20,467 --> 00:43:21,767
It is quite remarkable
1038
00:43:22,133 --> 00:43:24,900
that you can put a simple
potato in one end of a factory
1039
00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:28,400
and it'll come out as a sealed,
flavored bag of crisps
1040
00:43:28,533 --> 00:43:31,900
the other end of the factory
in just 35 minutes.
1041
00:43:32,000 --> 00:43:32,933
Not only that,
1042
00:43:33,233 --> 00:43:34,933
the engineering
and the precision
1043
00:43:35,033 --> 00:43:39,467
that you need to do it
five million times a day.
1044
00:43:39,600 --> 00:43:41,833
But do you know
what really surprises me?
1045
00:43:41,967 --> 00:43:44,467
It's that we actually eat
that many crisps.
1046
00:43:45,633 --> 00:43:47,867
Right, I've done my training,
1047
00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:50,133
the only thing left
is to load my crisps
1048
00:43:50,267 --> 00:43:51,300
on the back of a truck.
1049
00:43:54,300 --> 00:43:55,533
Chocks away, Ginger!
1050
00:43:55,667 --> 00:43:57,167
[majestic rock music continues]
79798
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