Behind the doors of the Heinz factory in Wigan, where 850 people work around the clock to produce 200 different products, including soup, pasta and, of course, 450 millions of cans of baked beans every year. The documentary discovers the secrets of making food on this scale, meets workers including food tasters, apprentice engineers and the factory's own firemen, and also learns the story behind the famous Heinz 57 number.
Cameras follow 24 hours of life on the factory floor at the famous McVitie's factory in Carlisle, documenting the work of the staff making some of the nation's favourite biscuits. The programme follows the whole production line process, from mixing the dough and baking the biscuits, to the engineering teams keeping the machines running, and staff offer first-hand accounts of life working in the oldest biscuit factory in the world. Plus, Food historian Dr Polly Russell reveals the history of the factory.
A behind-the-scenes guide to the Mr Kipling Factory in Carlton, Yorkshire, which first opened in the 1970s and was the largest bakery in Europe at the time. Members of the workforce provide an insight into the cutting edge technology that keeps the cakes coming 24 hours a day, while food historian Dr Polly Russell presents a guide to the company's history, revealing how recipes that date back to the 1800s remain popular favourites to this day.
The Kellogg's factory in Manchester opens its doors to reveal how some of the nation's favourite breakfast cereals are made. Larger than Buckingham Palace, and running 24 hours a day, five days a week, the factory produces one million packets of cereal a day. Cameras spend a day there and follow the process of making Corn Flakes, Crunchy Nut Cornflakes, Rice Crispies, and Coco Pops, with members of the workforce as guides.
In factories across the nation, manufacturers are hard at work ensuring that Brits everywhere have all the trimmings they need for a comforting classic Christmas. This documentary takes a look at how staples of the festive season actually get made, such as Christmas trees, Christmas crackers, tinsel, Christmas jumpers and Christmas puddings. Plus, a look at some food items, such as the 10,000 tonnes of sprouts grown and harvested in Lincolnshire and how enough figgy puddings are made in a single week to fill the seats of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
