1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:03,367 - * MTV 2 00:00:04,567 --> 00:00:06,200 [upbeat pop-rock music] 3 00:00:06,333 --> 00:00:08,767 - We are a nation of snackers. 4 00:00:08,900 --> 00:00:10,233 - Over the next 24 hours, 5 00:00:10,367 --> 00:00:13,367 we will get through 1/2 a billion crisps. 6 00:00:13,467 --> 00:00:18,233 - That takes over 17 million potatoes a day 7 00:00:18,367 --> 00:00:21,567 grown and harvested on UK farms like this one in Hampshire. 8 00:00:24,767 --> 00:00:26,200 - Tonight, we'll reveal 9 00:00:26,300 --> 00:00:28,467 just what it takes to produce crisps 10 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:30,833 on such a mind-boggling scale. 11 00:00:30,933 --> 00:00:32,733 - As we give you a rare look 12 00:00:32,867 --> 00:00:36,367 inside the largest crisp factory on Earth. 13 00:00:39,833 --> 00:00:41,000 - I'm Gregg Wallace. 14 00:00:42,100 --> 00:00:43,367 Bring her in! 15 00:00:43,767 --> 00:00:45,767 And tonight I'll join the race to keep up with demand 16 00:00:45,900 --> 00:00:47,033 for our favorite snack. 17 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:49,400 That's a packet of crisps? 18 00:00:49,533 --> 00:00:50,500 [laughs] 19 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:52,633 How does it do it that fast? 20 00:00:52,767 --> 00:00:56,433 I'll meet the supertasters testing every new flavor. 21 00:00:56,567 --> 00:00:57,533 - There is a sourness. 22 00:00:57,633 --> 00:00:58,667 - What, like curd? 23 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:00,267 - It's a bit like baby sick. 24 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:02,833 - And reveal the tricks this factory uses 25 00:01:02,933 --> 00:01:05,100 to keep your crisps fresh. 26 00:01:05,233 --> 00:01:07,700 In every bag of crisps is a bag of nitrogen? 27 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:10,067 - I'm Cherry Healey. 28 00:01:10,167 --> 00:01:11,567 That smells really good. 29 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:15,967 And I'll discover the secrets of the perfect crisp potato. 30 00:01:16,100 --> 00:01:18,367 Why are they so dark? 31 00:01:18,500 --> 00:01:19,567 - Because they have a lot of sugar 32 00:01:19,700 --> 00:01:21,000 which has caramelized. 33 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:24,367 - And the surprising ways your brain can be tricked 34 00:01:24,467 --> 00:01:26,867 into tasting something that's not there. 35 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:27,967 - It's really tricky. 36 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:30,200 - I thought I knew a lot about crisps. 37 00:01:30,300 --> 00:01:32,067 - Historian Ruth Goodman uncovers 38 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:34,133 who really invented the crisp. 39 00:01:35,233 --> 00:01:37,500 - We are gonna have to rethink crisp history. 40 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:42,067 - I love this! I wanna ride down this in a kayak! 41 00:01:42,167 --> 00:01:45,967 We spend more on crisps than anywhere else in Europe. 42 00:01:46,100 --> 00:01:49,500 - Every day over five million packets of crisps 43 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:51,867 fly out of this one factory. 44 00:01:51,967 --> 00:01:54,967 It's an incredible feat of logistics and engineering. 45 00:01:55,100 --> 00:01:57,733 - You'll never look at a humble packet of crisps 46 00:01:57,833 --> 00:01:59,500 in the same way again. 47 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:02,833 - Welcome to "Inside The Factory." 48 00:02:02,933 --> 00:02:04,500 [upbeat music continues] 49 00:02:04,633 --> 00:02:06,100 [word thudding] 50 00:02:06,233 --> 00:02:07,733 [majestic rock music] 51 00:02:21,533 --> 00:02:23,800 - This is Walker's in Leicester, 52 00:02:23,933 --> 00:02:26,700 the biggest crisp factory in the world. 53 00:02:34,367 --> 00:02:36,167 The crisp has gone through something 54 00:02:36,267 --> 00:02:38,300 of a gourmet revolution over the last few years 55 00:02:38,433 --> 00:02:40,500 and you can now get all sorts of posh flavors 56 00:02:40,633 --> 00:02:42,600 from langoustine and lemon 57 00:02:42,700 --> 00:02:45,733 to white Stilton and cranberry relish. 58 00:02:45,867 --> 00:02:50,367 But tonight, we are following the nation's biggest seller, 59 00:02:50,500 --> 00:02:51,867 cheese and onion. 60 00:02:51,967 --> 00:02:53,900 Which is a bit of a disappointment to me 61 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:55,900 because I'm very much a prawn cocktail man. 62 00:02:57,967 --> 00:03:01,200 More than 40% of the crisps eaten in Britain 63 00:03:01,300 --> 00:03:03,767 come out of this one factory. 64 00:03:03,867 --> 00:03:06,433 It runs around the clock, seven days a week. 65 00:03:07,500 --> 00:03:10,033 But whether they are making ready salted 66 00:03:10,133 --> 00:03:12,200 or something a bit more exotic, 67 00:03:12,300 --> 00:03:16,467 the 24-hour production process begins on the farm 68 00:03:16,567 --> 00:03:17,733 with the right spud. 69 00:03:18,900 --> 00:03:21,133 Almost all crisps produced in the UK 70 00:03:21,267 --> 00:03:23,267 are made with British potatoes. 71 00:03:23,367 --> 00:03:25,933 The most popular varieties are Markies, 72 00:03:26,067 --> 00:03:27,800 Lady Rosetta, and Hermes. 73 00:03:27,933 --> 00:03:29,300 [upbeat music] 74 00:03:29,433 --> 00:03:32,000 The process of making our crisps starts here 75 00:03:32,133 --> 00:03:35,200 on the Hampshire potato farm of Gavin Janaway 76 00:03:35,333 --> 00:03:38,867 whose family have been growing crisp spuds since the 1970s. 77 00:03:41,367 --> 00:03:42,467 These will be going to the crisp factory 78 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:43,867 later on today. 79 00:03:44,267 --> 00:03:45,600 - Have they just been dug or have they been in store? 80 00:03:45,633 --> 00:03:46,667 - No, these have been in store now 81 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:47,800 for about six months. 82 00:03:48,133 --> 00:03:49,933 - We keep them at the right temperature, 83 00:03:50,067 --> 00:03:52,200 the right humidity with fresh air going in there 84 00:03:52,300 --> 00:03:53,867 because a potato is a living, breathing thing. 85 00:03:53,967 --> 00:03:54,900 You know, we've gotta try 86 00:03:55,133 --> 00:03:56,267 and keep it happy and keep it warm 87 00:03:56,367 --> 00:03:57,633 so it produces a good crisp. 88 00:03:58,067 --> 00:03:59,600 - How do you know when they're growing in the ground 89 00:03:59,633 --> 00:04:00,867 that they are gonna be perfect for the crisp? 90 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:01,967 You can't tell. 91 00:04:02,367 --> 00:04:03,833 - Well, to try and help us tell, Gregg, 92 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:07,367 we've got our own little frying facility on-site here, 93 00:04:07,467 --> 00:04:08,700 our little potato lab. 94 00:04:08,833 --> 00:04:10,400 And we take samples from the field 95 00:04:10,500 --> 00:04:11,433 throughout the growing season 96 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:13,000 and throughout the storage season 97 00:04:13,267 --> 00:04:14,600 and we take them through there and we test them 98 00:04:14,633 --> 00:04:15,867 and we actually fry them ourselves. 99 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:17,267 So, I do my own little "MasterChef," 100 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:19,667 a little cooking myself, a little bit of salt and pepper, 101 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:21,100 just the right seasoning. 102 00:04:21,467 --> 00:04:23,567 We test them to make sure they're right for the factory. 103 00:04:23,700 --> 00:04:24,933 If they're not ready when we fry them at the field, 104 00:04:25,133 --> 00:04:26,267 we just give them another couple of weeks 105 00:04:26,500 --> 00:04:27,433 and a bit of sunshine and everything 106 00:04:27,467 --> 00:04:28,500 will help them mature. 107 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:29,733 [bouncy upbeat music] 108 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:33,733 - At any one time, Gavin could be storing as many 109 00:04:33,833 --> 00:04:36,833 as 160 million potatoes on his farm. 110 00:04:38,567 --> 00:04:40,233 When they get the order through from the factory, 111 00:04:40,367 --> 00:04:43,167 the potatoes are fed into one end of a production line 112 00:04:43,267 --> 00:04:47,633 which can sort, wash, and load 27 tons of spuds 113 00:04:47,767 --> 00:04:51,067 onto a truck in less than 45 minutes. 114 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:52,567 [potatoes clattering] 115 00:04:52,667 --> 00:04:56,233 Here we go. A nice big crate of British spuds. 116 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:00,500 How long before that lovely spud 117 00:05:00,633 --> 00:05:02,100 becomes a cheese and onion crisp? 118 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:03,533 - That could be a cheese and onion crisp 119 00:05:03,633 --> 00:05:05,033 within six hours. 120 00:05:05,167 --> 00:05:06,567 [upbeat indie-rock music] 121 00:05:06,733 --> 00:05:09,833 - This is where our crisp production line starts. 122 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:14,900 So, we're now just looking for anything that's green 123 00:05:15,033 --> 00:05:17,033 or has got damage on it or maybe a little shoot on it, 124 00:05:17,167 --> 00:05:18,833 anything that may affect the quality. 125 00:05:20,433 --> 00:05:21,933 - So, take the sprouts off. - Something like this. 126 00:05:22,100 --> 00:05:24,500 This is damage that's been done through harvesting, 127 00:05:24,633 --> 00:05:25,733 so that's mechanical damage, that comes out. 128 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:27,333 - There's another one. - That comes out. 129 00:05:30,967 --> 00:05:32,767 Yeah, you won't beat him, he's too quick. 130 00:05:32,900 --> 00:05:35,700 He's the fastest one here. Nobody beats Gregosh. 131 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:36,733 - It doesn't surprise me 132 00:05:37,067 --> 00:05:37,900 the best one here is called Greg. 133 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:39,000 [Gavin laughs] 134 00:05:40,267 --> 00:05:42,200 How often are you set up like this? 135 00:05:42,333 --> 00:05:43,567 - This is set up all year round. 136 00:05:43,900 --> 00:05:45,833 So we load any day of the week all year round. 137 00:05:46,967 --> 00:05:49,867 - Hey, a green one! I got that before Gregosh. 138 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:53,267 How many potatoes on a lorry load? 139 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:54,367 - There's 27 tons. 140 00:05:54,467 --> 00:05:55,600 So I think that works out 141 00:05:55,833 --> 00:05:59,067 roughly 200,000 of packets of crisp 142 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:00,100 in one lorry load. 143 00:06:00,233 --> 00:06:01,300 - How many lorries go out? 144 00:06:01,567 --> 00:06:03,200 - A busy day would be 10 lorries. 145 00:06:03,333 --> 00:06:04,567 - So that means on a busy day 146 00:06:04,700 --> 00:06:06,967 you send out two million bags of crisps. 147 00:06:07,100 --> 00:06:08,000 - Yeah. 148 00:06:08,133 --> 00:06:09,400 [potatoes clattering] 149 00:06:09,533 --> 00:06:11,433 [forklift beeping] 150 00:06:11,567 --> 00:06:12,800 [upbeat indie-rock music] 151 00:06:19,933 --> 00:06:21,100 - Have to admit, 152 00:06:21,467 --> 00:06:23,300 I find potato shopping a little bit daunting. 153 00:06:23,433 --> 00:06:25,900 There are so many different varieties 154 00:06:26,033 --> 00:06:29,100 and I never know which one to buy. 155 00:06:29,233 --> 00:06:32,633 In fact, there are more than 230 varieties 156 00:06:32,733 --> 00:06:34,533 of potato grown in the UK. 157 00:06:36,367 --> 00:06:39,167 About half of those will end up in your produce aisle 158 00:06:39,300 --> 00:06:40,733 but the other varieties 159 00:06:41,100 --> 00:06:44,000 are used to make everything from frozen waffles to vodka. 160 00:06:45,133 --> 00:06:48,033 But which variety makes the perfect crisps? 161 00:06:49,333 --> 00:06:52,500 To find out, I'm heading to potato HQ, 162 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:55,033 the National Agronomy Center in Cambridge, 163 00:06:55,167 --> 00:06:58,067 where James Fowler is a spud expert. 164 00:06:58,200 --> 00:06:59,267 - Ready to go in? - It's ready to go. 165 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:00,400 - Here we go. 166 00:07:00,767 --> 00:07:02,967 - We're going to have a crisp fry up 167 00:07:03,100 --> 00:07:06,467 but with three very different varieties of potato. 168 00:07:07,533 --> 00:07:09,300 I've brought some Maris Peers, 169 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:12,600 a waxy new potato great for salads, 170 00:07:12,733 --> 00:07:14,100 some King Edwards, 171 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:17,500 a more floury potato perfect for mashing, 172 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:20,367 and James has got this one. 173 00:07:20,467 --> 00:07:21,567 - You won't have seen this one, 174 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:23,600 Cherry, it's a specialist crisping variety 175 00:07:23,733 --> 00:07:25,167 we're investigating at the moment. 176 00:07:25,267 --> 00:07:27,433 We think it's gonna make good crisps. 177 00:07:27,567 --> 00:07:28,867 - It's brand-new? - Yeah. 178 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:30,633 - It's a revolutionary potato. 179 00:07:30,767 --> 00:07:33,633 The first obvious difference is the shape. 180 00:07:33,767 --> 00:07:36,267 Crisping varieties should be predominantly round. 181 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:39,233 Not long like this Maris Peer. 182 00:07:39,333 --> 00:07:41,833 If they're too small, the crisps are too small 183 00:07:41,933 --> 00:07:43,333 and the bags look half empty 184 00:07:43,467 --> 00:07:44,667 and also there's a lot more peeling waste 185 00:07:44,767 --> 00:07:45,700 when you process them. 186 00:07:45,833 --> 00:07:47,033 [upbeat pop music] 187 00:07:47,300 --> 00:07:50,133 - But the differences are more than skin deep. 188 00:07:50,267 --> 00:07:51,767 When it comes to making crisps, 189 00:07:51,900 --> 00:07:54,800 there are three key parts of a potato, 190 00:07:54,933 --> 00:07:58,300 water, which makes up about 80% of the average spud, 191 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:02,133 starch, and tiny amounts of natural sugar. 192 00:08:02,267 --> 00:08:05,533 Using a hydrometer, you can tell how much water there is. 193 00:08:05,667 --> 00:08:08,267 My two potatoes are about 80% water 194 00:08:08,367 --> 00:08:12,833 but a good crisp potato has only 75%. 195 00:08:12,933 --> 00:08:14,200 The less water, the better 196 00:08:14,533 --> 00:08:16,400 because you need to get rid of almost all of it 197 00:08:16,533 --> 00:08:17,800 to make a crisp. 198 00:08:17,933 --> 00:08:19,667 Now the fun bit. 199 00:08:19,767 --> 00:08:23,700 Now we fry all three potatoes in exactly the same way. 200 00:08:25,100 --> 00:08:26,900 - The water is boiling off. 201 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:28,433 - And that's what's causing all this steam? 202 00:08:28,567 --> 00:08:29,567 - That's right. 203 00:08:29,933 --> 00:08:32,667 - If there's more water in a potato 204 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:35,867 when it goes to the factory, you get more steam. 205 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:37,200 - And fewer crisps. 206 00:08:37,567 --> 00:08:38,900 - That's not what you want if you're making crisps. 207 00:08:40,100 --> 00:08:43,000 But when it comes to making light, golden crisps 208 00:08:43,100 --> 00:08:47,733 on an industrial scale, the biggest enemy is sugar. 209 00:08:47,867 --> 00:08:48,900 Wow. 210 00:08:50,233 --> 00:08:52,500 Why are they so dark? 211 00:08:52,633 --> 00:08:53,867 - Because they have a lot of sugar 212 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 214 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:00,333 and so are noticeably lighter. 215 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:04,400 Finally, we fry the specialist crisp potatoes 216 00:09:04,500 --> 00:09:07,067 at the same temperature as the other two. 217 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:09,700 Not only do they cook much faster, 218 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! 220 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 227 00:09:27,433 --> 00:09:30,200 making tens of millions of them every day, 228 00:09:30,333 --> 00:09:33,133 the science of spuds is everything. 229 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! 232 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? 234 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, 237 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 Randamp;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]