Sandwiches Show Me What You're Made Of

Last time on Show Me What You're Made Of,

our five had to get hands-on at a recycling factory.

They all come at once.

It stinks, badly, like bin juice.

Some easily impressed the boss...

You work really good. You work really hard.

Eloushka, that was well done.

We're the dream team.

..but others couldn't stick to the factory rules.

Stop now.

I've told you several times not to be punching the bails.

You could injure yourself.

It was Tom and Eloushka who bagged a job...

Really well done.

..and Eloushka became the first star employee.

This is Show Me What You're Made Of - UK.

Today...

-Tomato!

-..how will our group cope with making sandwiches...

It's physically impossible.

..at a factory that demands discipline

and high levels of concentration?

I'm not loving lettuce at the moment.

Not at all, actually.

Will all of them knuckle down to some serious work?

I am soaking wet.

I've got tuna down my shoe!

We've left the South West and travelled 130 miles to London.

We're on our way to a factory on the outskirts of the city

that makes something we all love to get stuck into.

Each year in the UK, we eat roughly 11.5 billion sandwiches.

If you were to lay them down end to end,

that's enough to go around the world an incredible 44 times.

The question is, have any of our five

got the hunger that's needed to shine working in a sandwich factory?

-Oh, no!

-Yes!

Oh, my dad said I'd be rubbish in a sandwich factory!

Do you have to cut the bread or is there like a machine to do that?

It's the best thing I've heard since sliced bread!

I don't think their new boss for the next two days, John,

thinks making sandwiches is a joke.

-How do you do?

-Hello.

-How are you?

Welcome to Adelie, good to meet you.

So, you guys eat sandwiches?

-Yes.

-Do you make them?

-Yeah.

I bet you've never made them like this.

I bet you've never made as many!

This factory supplies 900,000 sandwiches, paninis,

wraps and toasties every week

to some of the UK's leading supermarkets,

high-street shops and cafes.

Chances are, if you love your sandwiches,

you've eaten one made here.

Our five will be joining the 360 employees

working on the constantly-moving production lines.

You've got to make sure that you've got an eye for quality,

that you can work at speed, because our lines go quite quickly...

Does that sound like something we can deliver?

-ALL:

-Yeah.

-Come with me.

-Follow the boss.

'But before our workers can get anywhere near the food production,

'there are some very strict hygiene and uniform rules to comply with.'

So, we don't allow any jewellery,

so you need to take off rings, or watches, bracelets.

We don't allow any heavy make-up, as well,

so I'm afraid you'll have to take your make-up off.

Cos if you're making a sandwich

and a bit of your mascara falls into the ham...

His jaw's like down there. He's like...

Come on, guys, this is taking way too long.

I look like Uncle Fester from the Addams family.

And Tom can't help playing it for laughs.

Speechless, truly.

At home in North Wales, the wisecracks never stop

for 14-year-old Tom.

Thomas's dream for when he grows up,

he desperately wants to be a stand-up comedian.

He's quite a funny little boy.

But he doesn't see the fun in helping around the house.

When work is needed to be done, I do try to slack off, when I can.

I just use an excuse like, I'm in the shower or I'm in the toilet

or something. Normally works, yeah.

Tom's dad is hoping that he can leave his jokes aside and do

some hard graft in the factories.

Tom doesn't really understand the value of money.

He's never had a real job. Actually, working a full day might kill him!

He's joking!

Back at the factory, sandwich-making

is no laughing matter, which I hope our kids will realise.

-ALL:

-Wow!

So, this is where you'll be working for the next two days.

I'm a bit worried, cos there's just

so much going on and everyone is just working so fast.

Like, their hands are just continuously moving.

Our five's first job is on the production line,

assembling a great British favourite.

Right, so we're going to be making cheddar ploughman sandwiches.

Lucas, I'm going to get you to do onion.

-Madz, I want you to do cheese. Eloushka, pickle.

-I hate pickle!

-Maddy, lettuce.

-OK, yeah.

-Tom, tomatoes.

-I am your man.

Right, let's go make some sandwiches.

OK, let's go, nice and quick.

-With so many ingredients...

-Tomato?

Yes!

It's one of the trickiest sandwiches on the production line.

-Hi, I'm Madz.

-Team Tom-Bady! This is Bady.

And to start with, they'll need a bit of help.

Keep it in that hand, the left hand.

This line produces perfect ploughman's at the rate

of 42 a minute, so our kids will need to work fast.

OK, guys, you need to stay nice and focused. Off you go.

Their target is to make 2,500 perfect cheddar ploughman's

-in an hour.

-Sorry. Sorry.

-But they've barely begun

and Eloushka is already in a pickle.

It's physically impossible. My hand doesn't move this fast.

It's definitely not physically impossible, because they do it

every single day, 24 hours a day.

But they...they've had lots of practice on it.

-Try to make sure you get it more even.

-Yeah, it's really hard.

So, we haven't even been working for five minutes and already we've

had to stop the conveyor belt. The spreading isn't good enough.

-Eloushka, we need to pick up the pace, yeah?

-Yeah.

So, the conveyor belt has stopped for the second time.

We can't have been working any longer than five or ten minutes.

This time it's Lucas.

You're being a bit too generous with your onion and it's too messy

-at the minute.

-I mean, if you had a Lucas onion sandwich,

you wouldn't speak to anyone for the rest of the day.

Probably the rest of the week, cos your breath would stink.

It's very important there's ingredients in every bite.

Eloushka and Lucas are at the start of the line,

so if there is sprinkling and spreading isn't good enough...

This one here, do this one. Do that one.

The others can't add their ingredients

and production stops dead.

Eloushka, we're about to stop the belt again, because we're

-missing pickle on two of these.

-Yeah, it's going too fast.

I want to, like, swap with someone.

I'm not loving lettuce at the moment. Not at all actually.

The only person that's really content with their station

-is Madz.

-I love cheese. It's my favourite thing.

-Really?

So, I was so happy that I got it, The only thing I eat is cheese.

A match made in heaven, Madz.

Madz is in her element and

the others are all eyeing up her position.

I feel like cheese will be a bit easier, because you only have

to pick up one slice and put it in.

-Lucas, would you fancy giving the cheese instead of the onions?

-Yes.

-Why?

-I have to rush and I have to do it quickly with my fingers.

I tried to, like, slip myself in there at the start,

putting on the cheese, but she wasn't having any of it.

Eloushka, do you feel like Madz has a bit of an unfair advantage?

Yeah, cos she's got an easier job.

Madz, everyone is after your cheese.

They all think it's an easy job, but they couldn't do it.

It's not, cos the cheese gets stuck together.

You've got bits that aren't even fully cheese, so you have to put

them out and then you get distracted,

so you miss the line sometimes.

So, it's not as easy as everybody thinks it is.

Madz isn't letting go of cheese,

-so the others muddle on with their ingredients.

-Them.

You're not allowed to put them on.

There's always one of them in every handful you get and it

just slows your rhythm down a lot.

I was speaking to one of the women, who said they'd been here for

five years and she said, by far,

she thinks tomatoes are the hardest job.

I just don't know what 12g is so I'm just, like, estimating.

-It's difficult!

-With more ingredients around the sandwiches

than on them, production grinds to a halt time and time and time again.

John, ordinarily,

I guess the conveyor belt is allowed to continue?

They only generally stop it for changeovers of different products.

And all these stoppages are costly.

We are not making all the sandwiches

-we need to, to get out to the shops.

-OK.

After an hour, the belt has stopped 16 times and the task is over.

OK, my professional sandwich makers, time is up. Off you go.

While the workers tidy up the mess our five have left,

-the kids still have a beef.

-Not a fan of tomatoes now.

Everybody's saying, "Oh, you had the easiest one," but I didn't.

At least you could actually move.

With the pickle, like, I was really short,

so I was like on my tip-toes trying to get the stuff from the thing.

Surely that's enough moaning?

It's time for the boss to reveal if anyone has done enough

to earn a promotion.

How many sandwiches did our five managed to complete?

So, you made 1,100 sandwiches.

So, that's not too bad, but what was their target?

-Their target was 3,600.

-Oh, OK. So, we all know what happens next.

Some of you, possibly, promoted. Others, possibly, demoted.

Well, Tom, I was very impressed more than anything with your

work ethic, so I think you should have a promotion.

-Promoted!

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

-Well done, Tom.

-Two times in a row!

-I wasn't expecting that.

-Madz, how did Madz do?

-Mature cheddar is quite crumbly.

It breaks up easily and I thought you coped with it very well.

-So I'm going to give you a promotion, too.

-Well done, Madz.

-It's got to feel good, right? First promotion.

-Yeah. I'm happy.

The others, I'm afraid you're going to be demoted.

I knew it. I think I have let myself down a little bit.

I think, after getting promoted yesterday,

I just got very comfortable and thought, "Oh, this will be

"quite easy," and then I came in and it was actually quite a shock.

I think I got the promotion by the skin of my teeth.

It wasn't amazing, the work I did, but it was the fact that I tried.

Tom and Madz did well in the one hour they spent making sandwiches,

but I'd like them to meet someone who's spent

a whole lot longer doing this demanding job.

-Hi!

-Veena, who supervised them earlier on the production line,

and her husband, TJ, have laid on some home-made food

for our pair and there isn't a sandwich in sight.

Well, today I had a really fun day.

Sorry, I did not know your name,

but I noticed cheese girl and tomato boy!

-Cheese girl!

-Tomato boy! Let's drop that now!

So, how long have you worked at the factory?

Actually, I am in the factory business for nearly 22 years.

To do it 22 years, that takes some doing,

I take my hat off to you there.

Veena spent many of those years working long evening shifts,

even when her son was very small.

So, what's kept you working in this factory for so long?

I have to carry on that work for my sons, for our house.

I have to do that.

My mum is always working eight till eight in the night.

-Night shifts.

-What your mum does?

She is a... she works in a care home.

-Oh, yes, that is also hard work.

-Definitely.

Back home in Durham, Madz thinks more about spending money

than how it is earned.

I love shopping.

My pocket money, I get like £50 a month.

I love getting new make-up with it.

And when her cash has dried up, she relies on pester power.

She can be good, when she wants to be.

If she wants to be naughty, she can be very naughty!

I like being spoiled. I know it's a bit bad to say.

Her mum works long hours to give Madz the things

she didn't have when she was growing up in West Africa.

My wife had such a different upbringing from Madeline.

When she was Madeline's age,

she was one of the breadwinners in the family.

It couldn't be more different.

Everybody in my family tells me how lucky I am,

but I just nod and say, "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Before they leave, Veena shows Madz and Tom pictures of her son,

who is away at university now.

This photo for him when he is year one or two.

-And there is the high school one.

-There is high school.

Since 13, he is helping me hoover,

ironing, cooking. He knows all the cooking, as well.

And I struggled to make a sandwich. That's quite worrying!

Try and make life easier for them, basically.

Yeah, you have to always think about your mum and dad.

It really opened my eyes a bit of how I treat my mum.

So, my mum comes home, maybe put a shower on for her,

make sure the dishes are already washed,

make sure the washing has been done, so it makes life easier for her.

Veena's work in the factory has helped her to raise her son in

a nice home, but the harsh reality is that, in a big city like London,

not having a job can sometimes mean you struggle to keep a roof

over your head. And that's something

I'd like our demoted three to understand.

-This is who we're after! How do you do, Matt?

-Nice to meet you.

-Yeah, likewise, really nice to meet you.

-Hi.

I wanted to introduce you to Matt, because you manage a hostel,

is that correct?

Yeah, I manage 70 bed spaces in Westminster,

-for 16 to 25-year-olds who are homeless.

-Amazing.

But, Matt's connection with homelessness

isn't just through his work.

From being around 16 years old in London, I was homeless.

It took until I was just before my 18th birthday

to find stable accommodation.

That time was probably the roughest time in my life.

-Was it scary?

-Yeah, definitely.

I think the worst thing you can not know about your own life

is where it's going. Where are you going to sleep tonight?

-Did you need to move around a lot?

-Definitely.

It's a nomadic life, so you might choose this spot one night.

You might get soaked, it might not be that good.

You might move over there, to where there's shelter

under the building. You're moving around all the time.

What I want you three to really take on board is to understand

truly how precious jobs and wages are.

You know, if somebody had come up to you when you were 16, 17,

lying on the floor and said, "Actually, do you fancy a job

"down here in the factory?" What would you have said?

I would have jumped at it.

Because that job, no matter what it was,

gives you the money to put a roof over your head, maybe.

Being here tonight with Matt is like... It's really showed me,

like, I needed to respect what my mum and dad have given me.

Tomorrow, I'm definitely going to go into the factory and have

a lot of different perspective

and I'm definitely going to work 100% harder.

I am so pleased that our three were able to have

a chat with Matt this evening.

I think it's given them real food for thought, genuinely.

They now recognise, I think, that any job is precious and there must

be that certain level of respect. Even if it isn't your ideal career,

it pays the bills, it keeps the roof over your head.

Day two at the sandwich factory.

Our promoted pair, Tom and Madz, will be back on the production line,

working with supervisor Veena, this time making burritos.

So, Veena, I hear that you have nicknames for our two.

Yes, Tom's name is Tomato Boy and Madz is Cheese Girl.

-And they loved it.

-And they loved it?

I thought we said that goes no further than the house!

That's what you thought.

So, let's see if you can become burrito buddies by the end of this.

This line normally produces 900 wraps and our burrito buddies

will be expected to keep up.

-Got it.

-Like the sandwiches,

-what seems easy is actually pretty tricky on a moving belt.

-Oh, no.

-And Tom's already a bit stretched.

-Oh.

-Careful!

Madz did well in the sandwich task,

but how will she cope without cheese?

Definitely harder than cheese, but I like it.

Oh, sorry.

Tom's not actually producing that many decent wraps

and there is a trough just below the conveyor belt.

A lot of his are going down there.

They're being taken off the line and put

-into the wrap graveyard.

-I think I did that one wrong.

Tomato Boy is feeling the strain.

But how about Cheese Girl?

-I'm doing it for you, Veena.

-Thank you, Maddy.

She reminds me a lot of my mum.

The demoted three failed to impress on the production line

yesterday and are now relegated to doing the dirty dishes.

Boss John is keeping a close eye on them.

You're going to take all the trays here,

you're going to wash them down, make sure all the food waste comes

off them and then you're going to put them through the tunnel here.

Eloushka, Maddy and Lucas get kitted up for what can be

-a pretty messy job.

-Lucas, pay attention.

-Thank you.

-Off you go.

It's Eloushka's first demotion

and she's going to have to pull out all the stops to get back on top.

Lucas, come on. Are you kidding me?

-Especially with twice-demoted Lucas on her team.

-Are you ready?

I've got a little bit here for you to do.

Get them, Lucas. Don't just put them on the floor.

Actually hand them to me.

Me and Maddy are fine. It's just Lucas is really getting annoying.

Lucas just doesn't work well with the team. He likes to be individual.

See.

Good cleaning, Eloushka, that's very good.

After 20 minutes,

Eloushka is worn out and the boss moves Lucas to hose duty.

Well done, Eloushka. You were really good there. That was really good.

See, it's really important.

Whatever the task given, it's really important to give your all.

-You're doing really well.

-Now Lucas is in charge of the water,

-Eloushka is relying on him to pull his weight.

-Lucas.

Lucas, don't throw them.

Lucas threw the tray and the water went to my mouth.

I just need the muscle. Yeah.

Eurgh!

Come on, Lucas, we need to speed up. There's lots of trays to wash.

We need to get these back into production quickly.

It's not glamorous, but this job is crucial for the smooth

running of the factory's production lines.

All the ingredients that go to the line go in these trays

so if the people in this room don't perform and do what they need

to do, quickly and efficiently, then the whole factory will suffer.

-But Lucas is running out of steam.

-I've got tuna down my shoes.

Oh! Why?

And as Lucas loses focus...

-..things get wetter...

-I can't see!

..and Eloushka can see success slipping away.

Lucas keeps being silly and messing about and it's really

-making things tricky for us.

-I am soaking wet.

With Lucas drenched from head to toe and the factory waiting

on clean trays, the boss decides he must end the task.

We're not quite fast enough and, Lucas, you're getting water

everywhere, so we're going to need to get the professionals in.

Back on burritos, our promoted pair

are more than halfway through their hour of wrapping.

How's it going, girl?

Veena is saying it's going good, so I'm going with her word.

-Sounds like a good idea.

-So, hopefully, I am doing well.

But Tomato Boy is hot on her heels, with a breakthrough.

Hey, look at that! Woo!

-Tom!

-Yes.

-You look a bit happier.

-Yeah, I'm getting them right.

-You've found your flow?

-Yeah.

-Perfect!

-Thank you.

-"Perfect!"

The hour is up. How have our burrito buddies done?

Tom and Madz have made Veena proud.

But back with the others,

Lucas's performance has left Eloushka down in the dumps.

We went into that task trying to prove to the boss

that we could work hard and we could do a task well.

Especially because you were demoted, so you had a point to prove.

Yeah, but now Lucas has, like, ruined that for us and we've been

called off the task because we, as a group, weren't doing well,

just because of one person.

Oh, dear.

Well, there's one more chance to redeem themselves in this factory.

Our five are back together for their final task in the refrigerated

packing area.

Ooh-ooh, ooh!

Wow! Mamma Mia, this is cold! So, who's doing what, John?

So, if Tom and Madz would like to work together on the sandwich

line and then, the demoted team, if you would like to get on one line

each and you will be working on your own.

I want to see how good you can be.

Okay-doke.

-We got promoted together. We're going to be team!

-Come on!

-Here we go.

-One...

-The job is to pack sandwiches onto trays.

Go, go, go.

And team Tom and Madz get off to a speedy start.

But Lucas, who is yet to impress the boss,

will need to find his inner worker.

Come on, Lucas, take it seriously, please.

People will be eating these tomorrow.

John, what are you hoping that Lucas is going to be able

to show you, now he's been taken away from the team?

Well, I'm hoping that we can see the serious side of Lucas, where

he's not playing to the gallery and trying to impress his friends.

Well, I'm an individual person and I like to work individually

and so, if I work individually, I concentrate more.

Without Lucas as a distraction,

Eloushka now has a chance to prove what she believes she is capable of.

Yesterday and this morning, it didn't go very well.

I was feeling quite negative, quite down.

But I think this task really suits me. I'm enjoying this a lot more.

And it's caught the boss's attention.

Eloushka, this is really, really good.

-You're doing very, very well.

-Thank you.

What's good is that I don't have to watch you to know that

you're doing a good job.

As a manager, I find that really, really important.

LUCAS SINGS

Especially when another of his

workers needs a bit more supervision.

So, do you want to get a new tray ready for the next run?

-Thank you.

-That's it.

I'm hoping you don't make a mess of this one, Lucas.

-Great(!) You're saying now I've messed up?

-No, not yet.

-Better than you have been so far.

-OK.

We might have found something you're really good at, Lucas.

-Are you going to hire me for this job?

-We'll wait and see.

It looks like you're struggling...

On the other side of the room, Maddy is having a hard time keeping pace.

I'm just going to take a load.

I can't do it!

It's so difficult. Oh, my gosh.

-But Eloushka comes to the rescue.

-I've come to help.

-Oh, thank you.

And the backlog is soon cleared. All right, girls?

My belt finished, so I've come over to help Maddy.

Now we're keeping up on task.

Yeah, it's really helped me, because she's got a really quick pace.

Oh, I hate the smell of egg.

They're finally starting to show some initiative.

And even Lucas seems to have found his feet.

Just make sure they're a little bit neater in the trays,

but you're doing well.

After an hour's work, all the sandwiches are packed and this

-time, there have been no stoppages.

-OK, guys, that's it.

Thanks for helping. That's your shift over.

I do you think that they've made some progress.

You know, if you look back to the first task,

they weren't even able to put ingredients on a bit of bread.

The machine was constantly having to be stopped.

Here, they are able to work through a line without causing

any real mayhem.

Let's see what the boss thinks.

OK, I'm going to hand over to John.

-Were they a help or a hindrance?

-Mostly a help.

-Sometimes, a hindrance?

-Sometimes, a hindrance.

How did Eloushka do, John?

I thought Eloushka's work ethic was really good.

She got stuck in to tasks and the fact that she kept her head up

when she got demoted, I thought was quite impressive.

After doing very well in the last factory,

-I think I was a bit over-confident.

-"Who can't make a sandwich?"

-Yes, I was completely wrong.

-How has Madz done?

I've been really impressed with Madz, actually.

Just doing the first task,

I could tell that this was going to be a good two days.

Tom's work ethic, in everything he did, I thought, was top class.

When I get given a task, I just try my best at it.

-And have fun at the same time.

-Maddy.

I can see that you get a little bit frustrated.

I just think it's the pace that they all go out at.

But actually, you kept going,

you got on with it and that's all we can ask for in a good employee.

-Lucas.

-Well, Lucas, he loses focus.

I think that was his undoing in a couple of tasks.

If they were over 18 and they were seeking employment, are there

any of these five here that you would be willing to offer a job?

Mm-hmm. Actually three of them have caught my eye.

Madz and Eloushka, I think I would take on, definitely,

and I would also take on Tom.

OK, John, if you had to pick one out of five,

you know, the one person who has really shone,

the star employee, who would it be?

It would be Madz.

-Madz!

-Thank you, John.

Next time on Show Me What You're Made Of...

I don't think I'm doing it right.

..they try to clean up in a cosmetics factory.

-Look it's...

-Someone still has their heart set on board level...

I guess it is, kind of, the first step to being the boss.

..while others get into a bit of a lather.

He's really winding me up!