0:00:02 > 0:00:03Tomorrow morning in Britain,
0:00:03 > 0:00:06we will get through over 1.5 million bowls of cornflakes.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12And it all starts with thousands of tonnes of corn,
0:00:12 > 0:00:14shipped from around the world.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21Within days, it will be on breakfast tables all over the country,
0:00:21 > 0:00:25but how do you manufacture breakfast cereal on this scale?
0:00:28 > 0:00:29We've been given access
0:00:29 > 0:00:33to the largest cereal factory in Europe, to find out.
0:00:36 > 0:00:37I'm Gregg Wallace...
0:00:37 > 0:00:39Give me Crunchy Nut!
0:00:39 > 0:00:42..and I'm going inside, to follow this epic production line.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44That is fabulous.
0:00:44 > 0:00:45I'll reveal the secrets,
0:00:45 > 0:00:49to ensuring the breakfast cereals we've all grown up with...
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Whoa, hot Rice Krispies!
0:00:51 > 0:00:54..taste exactly right every time
0:00:54 > 0:00:55and the massive operation...
0:00:55 > 0:00:57The scale is unbelievable.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01..that delivers cereal all over the UK every day.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05If I hadn't have just seen that, I would not have believed that.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07I'm Cherry Healey...
0:01:07 > 0:01:08Oh, that's the dream.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11..and I'll be finding out how the UK produces the perfect wheat
0:01:11 > 0:01:14for our best-selling cereal.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16We have one of the best climates for growing wheat...
0:01:16 > 0:01:18- Do we?- ..in the world.
0:01:18 > 0:01:19Do we?
0:01:19 > 0:01:23I'll find out why a special nutrient is added to our cereal.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26One in five of us are actually deficient in vitamin D.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28One in five of us?
0:01:28 > 0:01:30And historian Ruth Goodman
0:01:30 > 0:01:32looks at what we used to eat to start the day.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35- Gammon...- Black pudding. - We've got a pig's head
0:01:35 > 0:01:36It's hearty(!)
0:01:36 > 0:01:37It's hearty.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41In the next 24 hours,
0:01:41 > 0:01:45over a million boxes of cereal will come out of this one factory.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48And we're going to show you how they do it.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50Welcome to Inside The Factory.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12This is Kellogg's Manchester factory.
0:02:12 > 0:02:17It is the single largest producer of breakfast cereal in Europe
0:02:17 > 0:02:19and tonight, I'm going to watch closely,
0:02:19 > 0:02:23as this handful of corn gets transformed
0:02:23 > 0:02:26into one of Britain's biggest-selling breakfast cereals,
0:02:26 > 0:02:30Crunchy Nut cornflakes, in less than 24 hours.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38It all begins nearly 9,000 miles away in Argentina,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41where the corn is grown on 390 farms,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44across an area the size of the Isle of Wight.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48During harvesting, the kernels are stripped from the corncob,
0:02:48 > 0:02:52then once a month, up to 30,000 tonnes of them
0:02:52 > 0:02:55are put on to a ship bound for the UK.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59After three weeks at sea, it arrives here at the Port of Liverpool,
0:02:59 > 0:03:04with enough corn to make over half a billion bowls of cornflakes.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13At the harbour-side cornmill, first the kernels are cleaned,
0:03:13 > 0:03:17then the outer skin is removed, along with the germ,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20the bit that attaches the kernel to the cob.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28That's now on its way to the factory in Manchester,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31where in a matter of days,
0:03:31 > 0:03:35the contents of that truck will be the cornflakes on your table.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41The truck full of corn kernels takes around an hour and 20 minutes
0:03:41 > 0:03:43to reach Kellogg's.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51Their Manchester factory, as big as 18 football fields,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53is a local landmark.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59And the cornflake production line keeps moving 24 hours a day,
0:03:59 > 0:04:00seven days a week.
0:04:02 > 0:04:07Making a million packets of cereal every single day.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Factory director Tony O'Brien is in charge.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16So, this is corn coming in on that wagon.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20Over a 24-hour period, we'll bring in about nine or ten deliveries
0:04:20 > 0:04:24and that'll make about seven million bowls of cereal.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26It's a scale I can't possibly imagine
0:04:26 > 0:04:28and I've got a big breakfast bowl, let me tell you.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30- And if no corn came in...- Yeah.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33..how long would it take till Britain ran out of cornflakes?
0:04:33 > 0:04:37Here we've got about 700 tonnes of corn.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40I reckon we've got about two days worth of...
0:04:40 > 0:04:43- Is that all?- ..of corn supply and then...- Is that all we've got?
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Then, my phone would be going very, very warm indeed.
0:04:47 > 0:04:48If all goes to plan,
0:04:48 > 0:04:52this precious cargo will be turned into boxes of cereal
0:04:52 > 0:04:53in under 24 hours.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Getting it into the factory is the responsibility
0:04:58 > 0:05:00of logistics manager Paul Davies.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02And that's naturally going to lift that up.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05And he's entrusting that job to me.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07So, what you're going to do is you're going to pull that back.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09- Like that?- Yeah.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13Then, put that shoe into there, ready for delivery of the corn.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15I've never done this. If I get this wrong,
0:05:15 > 0:05:18I'm going to waste 20 tonnes of corn all over the floor.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20You're not going to get it wrong.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22- I'm not going to let you get that wrong.- Thanks.
0:05:22 > 0:05:23OK.
0:05:23 > 0:05:24Now what?
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Take this and turn it,
0:05:27 > 0:05:28to open up the slide.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31That's a terrible responsibility.
0:05:31 > 0:05:32That's it.
0:05:34 > 0:05:39The 24-hour countdown from kernels to cornflakes begins.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42That is a corn waterfall, a corn avalanche.
0:05:46 > 0:05:47Tomorrow's cornflakes.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49- Yep.- That's incredible, mate.
0:05:49 > 0:05:50That is incredible.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57It takes an hour to pour all those kernels into the silo store.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01They're a good 30 metres away from the factory plant
0:06:01 > 0:06:04but if the silo was any closer, it could be dangerous
0:06:04 > 0:06:08because, although it's rare, grain dust can be highly explosive.
0:06:08 > 0:06:13How on Earth does it get into there to make the bowls of cereal?
0:06:13 > 0:06:15It drops from there into an elevator,
0:06:15 > 0:06:17which takes it up to the top.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19It then drops into the silo
0:06:19 > 0:06:21and gets blown across there
0:06:21 > 0:06:23- into the plant. - It gets blown over that bridge?
0:06:23 > 0:06:25- It does, yeah.- No way!
0:06:25 > 0:06:27I wouldn't lie to you, Gregg, I promise.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Blowing the kernels over
0:06:32 > 0:06:35is the quickest and most efficient way of transporting them.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37It gets madder here by the minute, Paul.
0:06:37 > 0:06:38- You think so?- Yeah!
0:06:40 > 0:06:42The magic begins in the cooking hall -
0:06:42 > 0:06:45fundamentally, a massive kitchen
0:06:45 > 0:06:49containing 26 supersized pressure cookers.
0:06:49 > 0:06:54In charge is head chef, or corn unit manager, Dan Fox.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58This is the first stage where it starts its process
0:06:58 > 0:07:00in becoming a cornflake.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02So, what we do here is, essentially, we cook the corn.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09The corn is cooked one tonne at a time.
0:07:09 > 0:07:10Wey!
0:07:10 > 0:07:12When the hatch is in position...
0:07:12 > 0:07:14It's like a little mini submarine.
0:07:14 > 0:07:15..the press of a button...
0:07:15 > 0:07:17- Ready?- Yeah.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21..signals for the release of the corn kernels...
0:07:21 > 0:07:23I can hear them. I can hear them coming.
0:07:23 > 0:07:29..all the way from the storage silo, through a 250-metre long pipe.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34So, you've got a tonne of corn in here.
0:07:34 > 0:07:39That means, by my reckoning, we need half a swimming pool full of milk
0:07:39 > 0:07:40and about 30 kilos of sugar.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45An hour and five minutes after arriving off the lorry,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48the corn is sealed inside and ready to steam.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53The pressure will reach 20 psi,
0:07:53 > 0:07:56almost twice as high as a household pressure-cooker.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01We add to it barley, malt, iron, sugar, salt,
0:08:01 > 0:08:05and those natural flavours help take on this characteristic colour.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08We add water into that corn, it swells it out,
0:08:08 > 0:08:10that makes it more valuable, which then enables it
0:08:10 > 0:08:14to be in the right sort of format to be made into a cornflakes.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17It's... It's... It's just unfathomable.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22The pressure cookers continuously rotate
0:08:22 > 0:08:24to make sure the corn cooks evenly.
0:08:27 > 0:08:28Can you burn it?
0:08:28 > 0:08:29You can't burn it as such
0:08:29 > 0:08:31but what you could do is absolutely really ruin it
0:08:31 > 0:08:33by overcooking it tremendously.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35So, a bit like, say if you're cooking pasta,
0:08:35 > 0:08:39you can overcook the pasta so it just becomes a slop.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43And after one hour and 15 minutes at 100 degrees, it's ready.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45Whoa.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47That feels warm and tropical.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50It's this sort of like dark, sandy sort of colour.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53You see it's free-flowing and essentially it's doubled in size.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57The tonne of steaming, moist, hot corn
0:08:57 > 0:08:59is whisked away to start drying out.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Are you a bit of a cereal anorak?
0:09:04 > 0:09:07- HE LAUGHS - Probably I am actually, yes. Secretly, yeah.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11How many times have you turned round and started talking to people about their breakfast cereal?
0:09:11 > 0:09:14To be honest with you, quite a lot. Any time I do, people's eyes do glaze over,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17I'm not going to lie to you, and then my wife says, "Come on, wind it up, wind it up."
0:09:17 > 0:09:20I'm probably a cornflake nerd. You're probably right, yeah.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24- Come here, mate.- Go on.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33I just realised something -
0:09:33 > 0:09:36I'm cooking breakfast for 30,000 people.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38But not everybody has breakfast.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46Almost half of us admit to missing breakfast at least once a week
0:09:46 > 0:09:49and one in ten people don't eat breakfast at all.
0:09:50 > 0:09:51We've all heard the old saying -
0:09:51 > 0:09:54breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
0:09:54 > 0:09:55But is it true?
0:09:55 > 0:09:58Does it really matter if we give it a miss?
0:10:01 > 0:10:04I've come to Leeds University to meet two people
0:10:04 > 0:10:06who've researched this very subject.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Professors Professor Louise Dye and Katie Adolphus.
0:10:10 > 0:10:11I have to confess
0:10:11 > 0:10:14I quite often miss breakfast.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17To me, extra time in bed is always going to win.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19Is it really that bad?
0:10:19 > 0:10:20It is that bad,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23so, basically, breakfast does have a short-term beneficial effect
0:10:23 > 0:10:26on your cognitive performance across the morning,
0:10:26 > 0:10:27so those that have eaten breakfast
0:10:27 > 0:10:32do better on tests of reaction time, memory and attention
0:10:32 > 0:10:33than those who have skipped breakfast.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Eating breakfast in the morning
0:10:35 > 0:10:38actually prevents a decline in cognitive function.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42It's not going to make me Superwoman but it's going to keep me constant.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48With the help of the professors, I've set up an experiment
0:10:48 > 0:10:51so that I can see the effects of ignoring breakfast for myself.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56It's 7am, the sun hasn't even come up,
0:10:56 > 0:11:00but we're here at this Leeds office and we're waiting for the workers
0:11:00 > 0:11:03to arrive because they are going to be our guinea pigs.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07Our test subjects are creatives, based at a work space hub,
0:11:07 > 0:11:09and none of them have had breakfast yet.
0:11:11 > 0:11:12Before we start the experiment,
0:11:12 > 0:11:16Professor Dye needs a baseline reading of their cognitive function.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19So, the first test is a memory test,
0:11:19 > 0:11:21the second test is a reaction time test
0:11:21 > 0:11:24and the third test is a sustained attention test.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28First, the volunteers are shown 16 pictures,
0:11:28 > 0:11:32and ten minutes later, asked to recall which ones they saw.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35Next, reactions are assessed
0:11:35 > 0:11:39by a black circle appearing on the left or the right of the screen.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41They must respond correctly as soon as they see it.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45In the attention test, they must press a button
0:11:45 > 0:11:49whenever they spot three odd or three even numbers in a row.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53That was really hard.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55That was very hard.
0:11:55 > 0:11:56And now we will...
0:11:56 > 0:11:57You're in two groups,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00so one group will get breakfast and the other, I'm afraid, won't.
0:12:00 > 0:12:01So sorry to break this to you
0:12:01 > 0:12:05but, Team A, you don't get any breakfast,
0:12:05 > 0:12:07you just get a glass of water,
0:12:07 > 0:12:11and, Team B, you get breakfast
0:12:11 > 0:12:13and you can have as much or as little as you like.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Go for it.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17But just try not to, you know, show that lot.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Now, all our volunteers need to work as normal.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30An hour and a half after the experiment began
0:12:30 > 0:12:33and I'm checking in with the water-only workers.
0:12:35 > 0:12:36Are you a breakfast-eater?
0:12:36 > 0:12:39Yes, I would have had a massive bowl of porridge about an hour ago.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41And how are you feeling right now?
0:12:41 > 0:12:44I'm pretty hungry. Just really distracting.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46Has it affected you so far?
0:12:46 > 0:12:48Well, we've mainly been looking at pictures of food on the internet.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51So, yeah, we're quite distracted, I'd say.
0:12:51 > 0:12:52I am a little worried about it.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54I'm thinking so much about the fact that I am hungry
0:12:54 > 0:12:57that I'm worried about how well I'll be able to manage the space.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01Two hours in and the professors are retesting
0:13:01 > 0:13:05both the control group and the fasting group.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08By this time, they've already exerted quite a lot of effort,
0:13:08 > 0:13:09they've been performing all morning.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12They've gone back to their desks and carried on working,
0:13:12 > 0:13:14so they should be tiring now
0:13:14 > 0:13:16and we'd expect their performance to be declining.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19So, if you're used to having breakfast every day,
0:13:19 > 0:13:21missing it is likely to be detrimental.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23So, when they haven't eaten breakfast,
0:13:23 > 0:13:27they feel very sluggish, they feel that they can't focus, not as alert
0:13:27 > 0:13:31and they also feel very frustrated and angry and quite hard done by
0:13:31 > 0:13:32that they haven't eaten breakfast.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38I want to see if our hungry group is finding the test any harder.
0:13:38 > 0:13:39The numbers thing,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42they were dancing at me by about halfway through.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44The numbers bit was...
0:13:44 > 0:13:45It was really hard to concentrate
0:13:45 > 0:13:49and by the end I just, kind of, felt like I was in a blur of numbers.
0:13:49 > 0:13:50I'm doing OK, bit of a foggy head.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Just putting numbers together properly, I'm having
0:13:53 > 0:13:56to triple-check everything, cos my concentration is a bit shot.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00How much do you think your productivity has been affected?
0:14:00 > 0:14:01I think massively so.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Yeah, I've done maybe a third of what I normally do.
0:14:07 > 0:14:13Three and a half hours after we started and after the final test,
0:14:13 > 0:14:15how did our officer workers compare?
0:14:16 > 0:14:20The breakfast-eaters sailed through all the tasks.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24The workers without food did OK on the memory test,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27but they were 4% slower on reaction times
0:14:27 > 0:14:31and a whole 6% behind on the attention test.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33It looks like the experiment has worked.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36People who didn't have breakfast really did struggle
0:14:36 > 0:14:38- with their performance.- Absolutely.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41From the studies in our lab, the task that measures attention,
0:14:41 > 0:14:45performance is normally 7% lower in the breakfast-skippers
0:14:45 > 0:14:47compared to those who have eaten breakfast.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49It's quite a big percentage.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53So, it doesn't matter if you're a toast, a porridge
0:14:53 > 0:14:57or a scrambled-egg person, think twice before skipping breakfast.
0:14:57 > 0:14:58I know that I will.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14Back at the cereal factory and our corn kernels are in the drying room,
0:15:14 > 0:15:16three hours after they arrived here.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22They've soaked up moisture during cooking,
0:15:22 > 0:15:26so now they're moving slowly on a looped conveyor belt
0:15:26 > 0:15:32through this nearly 100-foot long, extremely noisy double-decker dryer.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Is this the biggest bit of kit in the factory?
0:15:35 > 0:15:38It's probably the single biggest stand-alone piece of equipment.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40- That's all dryer? - Yeah, so, it starts there,
0:15:40 > 0:15:41all the way along,
0:15:41 > 0:15:42down,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45all the way back again. There's probably in the region of
0:15:45 > 0:15:48several thousand bowls just gone past your shoulder now.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51You won't ever get closer to this amount of cornflakes ever.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Absolutely. I'm sure if the Guinness Book Of Records was here and
0:15:54 > 0:15:57we had a bowl big enough, it would be the biggest bowl of cornflakes.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02It takes two and a half hours of hot-air fanning over the corn
0:16:02 > 0:16:04before it's ready.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06What are you looking for?
0:16:06 > 0:16:08That was the corn coming out of your cooker.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11You can see it's got that, sort of, golden colour
0:16:11 > 0:16:12and it's quite soft.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15- But not wet, just squishy.- And as it goes through the drying process,
0:16:15 > 0:16:17what we're looking for at the end is this sort of texture,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20so it should be dryer, darker.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22That should be slightly harder.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Yeah, slight bounce on it. It's got a little bit of give.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27Yeah, and, actually, that's absolutely critical.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30If we dry it too fast or too hard,
0:16:30 > 0:16:32we're in danger of crushing it into a powder.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39If one stage breaks down, what happens?
0:16:39 > 0:16:41Everything before it stops.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44So, is not just this section that stops,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47it's all the 26 tonnes of cookers beforehand that stops.
0:16:47 > 0:16:48That could cost millions.
0:16:48 > 0:16:49That's correct, yes.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52I can't believe they've given all that responsibility
0:16:52 > 0:16:54to somebody like you, Dan.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57Sometimes I can't believe it myself, Gregg, if I'm honest.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02The next stop is the milling room, where our corn kernels,
0:17:02 > 0:17:04still moist in the middle,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07are about to be transformed into a much more familiar shape.
0:17:09 > 0:17:10They're rolled through that mill.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12What do you mean rolled? Squashed?
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Imagine a mangle,
0:17:14 > 0:17:18they shear it, to sort of flatten it and elongate it.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20- Mate, they squash it.- Yeah.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24The kernels are fed between two giant steel rollers...
0:17:27 > 0:17:29..which turn in opposite directions,
0:17:29 > 0:17:31one slightly faster than the other.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35That means the kernels don't get crushed, but stretched,
0:17:35 > 0:17:36all in a second or less.
0:17:37 > 0:17:42Going through here, the equivalent of 200 bowls a minute.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45They now look like cornflakes to me.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47They might look like cornflakes, but they're not cornflakes yet.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51Give it a feel. Feel it.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53- You're all right. Feel it. - No, it's wet.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55- No, it's...- Scrunch it.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57You can make it into a ball.
0:17:57 > 0:17:58- Yeah, that's not right.- No.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00- It's all stretchy and rubbery.- Yeah.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03- What have you done to my cornflakes?!- So...
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Would you like that in your breakfast bowl in the morning?
0:18:06 > 0:18:07No.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13I'm about to discover how Dan turns my squidgy wet flakes
0:18:13 > 0:18:17into the classic crunch we're all familiar with.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19But around 150 years ago,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22I wouldn't have had any kind of cornflakes in my breakfast bowl,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25because cereal hadn't been invented.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Now, Ruth Goodman is finding out
0:18:27 > 0:18:29what the Victorians were eating instead.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Breakfast before cereal was a gut-busting business.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39Wow, this is quite spread here.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41Isn't it just?
0:18:41 > 0:18:43I'm sitting down to a 19th-century feast
0:18:43 > 0:18:45with historian Seren Evans-Charrington.
0:18:48 > 0:18:49So, what exactly have we got here?
0:18:49 > 0:18:52We'll start off with a nice little bit of boiled lobster,
0:18:52 > 0:18:53some langoustines.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56We've got faggots, meat pies, bacon,
0:18:56 > 0:18:57cold cuts of meat.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59- Gammon.- Gammon, black pudding,
0:18:59 > 0:19:02we've got a pig's head filled with jellied brawn.
0:19:02 > 0:19:03It's hearty(!)
0:19:03 > 0:19:05It's hearty.
0:19:05 > 0:19:06So, your breakfast would change
0:19:06 > 0:19:09depending on what you'd had the night before, what was left over.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13One thing I'm really noticing is the enormous amount of protein...
0:19:13 > 0:19:15- Mmm.- ..that's on the table...- Yes.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17..and the complete lack of fruit.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Yes. But this is really high-class dining.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23You had a really hearty breakfast that was going to set you up
0:19:23 > 0:19:26for the day and keep you going until you ate again.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29We're not thinking about our waistline.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31We're not thinking about the nutritional value of it
0:19:31 > 0:19:34and it's thought that this is good for you, at this point.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Even the average Victorian was gorging down
0:19:39 > 0:19:42a mind-boggling 4,500 calories a day,
0:19:42 > 0:19:44almost twice the amount we eat now.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49In a modern life, if you sat down to this every day,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52- well, you'd give yourself a whole range of health problems.- Yeah.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55They are getting lots of gout, you've got problems with obesity,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58all sorts of gastrointestinal problems.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04Put simply, this breakfast made people fat and flatulent.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Things had to change.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09So, in 1863, an American doctor, James Caleb Jackson,
0:20:09 > 0:20:12came up with an alternative for his patients,
0:20:12 > 0:20:16a healthy vegetarian breakfast, that he called Granula.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19And we're going to try and recreate it.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24So, what we're looking for is stiff wallpaper paste consistency.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30'We're mixing wheat flour and water, to make a dough.'
0:20:30 > 0:20:35We want to bake it until it's the consistency of a hard brick.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38'That's nine hours in a low temperature oven,
0:20:38 > 0:20:43'then cooled and put back in for another nine hours.'
0:20:43 > 0:20:48- This has been twice baked.- This is quite hard, isn't it?- It's tough.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53- Break it up into these little pieces.- Something like that?
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Yeah. But it's hard going, flaking it.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59'The flakes now need to be ground.'
0:20:59 > 0:21:03Now, that's starting to look much more like a cereal.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07But before you want to eat it, you've got to soak it overnight.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09'After about 30 hours of preparation,
0:21:09 > 0:21:11'a very plain breakfast is served.'
0:21:13 > 0:21:14Brace yourself.
0:21:16 > 0:21:21It's not horrible. It's not exciting. Worthy, I think...
0:21:21 > 0:21:25- That is what it's meant to be.- I can't say it's a food for pleasure.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27It tastes like a health food.
0:21:27 > 0:21:32There's no sugariness, there's no saltiness. It's just very simple.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Pleasant or not, Jackson had invented the first
0:21:36 > 0:21:39commercially-available breakfast cereal.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42It wasn't profitable, but it led to other health specialists
0:21:42 > 0:21:44developing their own varieties.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48This is where the Kellogg's story starts.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50In 1894, Dr John Kellogg,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53chief medical officer of a sanatorium, and his brother,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56William Keith, were trying to make granola for patients,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58using corn, oatmeal and wheat.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03One-day, William Keith was experimenting with wheat grains
0:22:03 > 0:22:07and over-softened a batch by mistake.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11Instead of destroying them, he tried rolling and baking the mushy grains.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15And by accident, created the wheat flake of today.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18And from there, it was but a short step to creating
0:22:18 > 0:22:21the very first...cornflakes.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Back at Kellogg's factory, cornflakes might still be their
0:22:40 > 0:22:44most iconic product, but it's not their only one.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48Here they also make chocolate, frosted and raisin wheats -
0:22:48 > 0:22:50Frosties and Ricicles.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53And I want to see what else is cooking.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56Technician Paul Richardson is the man who puts the snap,
0:22:56 > 0:23:00crackle and pop into one of their childhood classics.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04I feel a bit silly, but I never realised that Rice Krispies
0:23:04 > 0:23:06actually were made from rice.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10- Well, the clue's in the title, isn't it?- What rice is it?- Arborio.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14I've got that, that's Italian risotto rice. I've got that at home.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19After cooking and flavouring, the rice is dried, trimmed
0:23:19 > 0:23:20and put aside.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24And then, it has to be puffed up by hot air.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27On our oven here, we have 1,000 tubes.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31That puffs it up, so you've got your snap, your crackle and your pop.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35So, from there to there, in about 20 feet of tubes,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38hot air and colour, I'm going to get rice to Rice Krispie?
0:23:38 > 0:23:39- That's right.- Oh-ho!
0:23:39 > 0:23:44- As you can see, it's hot! - Whoa! Hot Rice Krispies!
0:23:44 > 0:23:47If I hadn't had just seen that, I would not have believed that.
0:23:47 > 0:23:48HE LAUGHS
0:23:50 > 0:23:53After, Rice Krispies get extra special treatment.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00They're covered in a mixture of cocoa, water and sugar -
0:24:00 > 0:24:04on their way to becoming Coco Pops.
0:24:04 > 0:24:05That is a thing of beauty.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09Vicky Stanton is in charge of the only Coco Pop machine
0:24:09 > 0:24:10in the country.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14- Do you know how many bowls you're producing?- 2.5 million a day.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17- From this one machine? So this is running constantly?- Yeah.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19I feel like I should pay homage to it.
0:24:19 > 0:24:20SHE LAUGHS
0:24:22 > 0:24:26The hot chocolaty syrup turns the rice grains moist and sticky,
0:24:26 > 0:24:28so now, they need drying out -
0:24:28 > 0:24:30very slowly.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32So, I can feel the cool air.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35That's drying it and taking the heat away.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40Most of them are loose, but I can still see some clusters. Wey!
0:24:40 > 0:24:42- What happens to them? - They fall down on to what we call
0:24:42 > 0:24:43the cluster buster.
0:24:43 > 0:24:49- So it falls off the edge and breaks up the lumps?- Yes.- Brilliant.
0:24:49 > 0:24:50Brilliant.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55You can leave them there, if you want.
0:24:55 > 0:24:56SHE LAUGHS
0:24:58 > 0:25:02Of course, the cocoa and the two and a half teaspoons of sugar
0:25:02 > 0:25:07in an average bowlful is what makes Coco Pops so moreish.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10But they're not the only extra ingredients.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Every Kellogg's cereal is fortified with minerals and vitamins,
0:25:13 > 0:25:17most recently, in some varieties, vitamin D.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20Cherry is finding out why we need it added to our breakfast.
0:25:22 > 0:25:28Vitamin D is essential to absorb calcium for healthy teeth and bones.
0:25:28 > 0:25:33But new research suggests that there are other important benefits.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37I've come to St Bart's and London Centre for Immunobiology to meet
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Professor Adrian Martineau.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43For the last ten years we've been working on the effects
0:25:43 > 0:25:45of vitamin D on the immune system.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47In particular, on resistance to the common cold.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49So what did you discover?
0:25:49 > 0:25:52We've done clinical trials and the results have shown in people
0:25:52 > 0:25:55who have low vitamin D levels to start with, giving them
0:25:55 > 0:25:57extra vitamin D supplements can reduce the risk of getting
0:25:57 > 0:26:00- a cold by around 50%. - That's absolutely huge.
0:26:00 > 0:26:05So if you have low vitamin D levels, topping them up can potentially
0:26:05 > 0:26:09- prevent you from getting the common cold by up to 50%.- Exactly right.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16It's not just colds you risk if you are low in vitamin D.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20Serious conditions, from type I diabetes to some cancers,
0:26:20 > 0:26:24as well as children developing bone-softening rickets,
0:26:24 > 0:26:28have been linked to severe vitamin D deficiency.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33One way we can get this super nutrient is sunshine.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37We can produce it by our skin converting ultraviolet light.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41So if we spend plenty of time outdoors,
0:26:41 > 0:26:43then surely we'll get enough of it.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45Not in the short days of winter,
0:26:45 > 0:26:49according to nutritionist Angelique Panagos.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51So the sun actually has to be at a certain angle,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54so it has to be at about 50 degrees above the horizon.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57And in that way, the UVB rays can actually penetrate
0:26:57 > 0:27:00through the atmosphere and help us to synthesise vitamin D.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04But in the UK, the sun in winter is always very low.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07The sun, unfortunately, is letting us down.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09So, from about October through to April,
0:27:09 > 0:27:11we can't synthesise vitamin D.
0:27:11 > 0:27:16So, if you live in the UK and you go out into the sunshine
0:27:16 > 0:27:19in winter, you're not really getting a vitamin D benefit.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21You're not getting a vitamin D benefit.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24Although we store the vitamin D we make in the summer,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27it can be depleted over the winter.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31Research has shown that one in five of us are actually deficient
0:27:31 > 0:27:34- in vitamin D. - One in five of us?!- One in five.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39That's enough to make me want to get my own levels checked,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42so I'm using a self-testing kit.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45If ten million people are vitamin D deficient,
0:27:45 > 0:27:49then there's quite a good chance that I am, too.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52But there's only one way to find out.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57Two weeks later, my results are back.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01Now, it's time to find out if I'm one of the 20% of the population
0:28:01 > 0:28:04that is deficient in this sunshine vitamin.
0:28:08 > 0:28:15- Adequate! That's not good! Adequate. - Good excuse to go on more holidays.
0:28:15 > 0:28:16OK!
0:28:16 > 0:28:18So, my vitamin D levels at the moment are OK,
0:28:18 > 0:28:22but what happens if they dip? What can I eat to keep them topped up?
0:28:22 > 0:28:26So, you can get some vitamin D from food sources.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28So, oily fish is a good one.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32You'd need to be eating a lot of one food to be getting that
0:28:32 > 0:28:34vitamin D kick that we're looking for.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37To get my ten microgram daily dose,
0:28:37 > 0:28:41I would need to eat either one fresh salmon fillet or six eggs
0:28:41 > 0:28:44or eight home-made beefburgers,
0:28:44 > 0:28:5052 bacon rashers or 333 fried mushrooms.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53Taking a vitamin D supplement would be easier
0:28:53 > 0:28:57and having a boost at breakfast could also help.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01The sunshine vitamin is put into a range of cereals voluntarily
0:29:01 > 0:29:05by Kellogg's, and most other cereal manufacturers,
0:29:05 > 0:29:09providing around a tenth of the recommended daily allowance.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21At the mega cereal factory,
0:29:21 > 0:29:25our corn kernels have reached the toasting area.
0:29:25 > 0:29:29It's five hours and 36 minutes since they entered the factory
0:29:29 > 0:29:32and they're halfway to becoming a bowl of proper cornflakes.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34Wow!
0:29:34 > 0:29:38Now, those soggy, flattened flakes need crisping up.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41In here, we dry it, we toast it.
0:29:41 > 0:29:45- That's a circular rotating toaster? - In simple terms, yes.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48- It's taking the moist flake and making it crispy.- Yes.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50And as it rotates around there,
0:29:50 > 0:29:54the rotation action separates those flakes out.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57So, my big, gooey flake becomes separate, light crispy ones?
0:29:57 > 0:29:58Absolutely, yeah.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04- It's in there for about seven to ten seconds.- Is that all?- Yeah.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07- That is the fastest cereal I've ever seen.- Yes.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12Incredibly, these cornflakes are coming through at
0:30:12 > 0:30:17- a rate of ten bowls a second. - Help yourself, tuck in.- They're hot.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20- They're hot. - It's like a plate of hot chips.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24Mate, have you ever thought about selling hot cornflakes?
0:30:24 > 0:30:26It's a treat not many people get to experience.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28You won't get a fresher cornflake than that.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33The cornflakes are good to go.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35Great big river of cornflakes.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37That's right, they're cornflakes, but equally,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40- we will turn them into Crunchy Nut cornflakes or Frosties.- Really?
0:30:40 > 0:30:43- Really, yeah.- So right now, that could be any one of three?
0:30:43 > 0:30:45Any one of three, yeah.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50Five hours 36 minutes and 15 seconds in,
0:30:50 > 0:30:52and the plain cornflakes head off for packing,
0:30:52 > 0:30:56while Frosties is diverted away for extra flavouring,
0:30:56 > 0:31:00along with Crunchy Nut, which was invented right here at the factory.
0:31:00 > 0:31:01I'd love to make Crunchy Nut.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05- How do you stop them going up to cornflakes?- I make a phone call.
0:31:05 > 0:31:09- Can I make that phone call? - One second.- No way!
0:31:09 > 0:31:11Is that Steve?
0:31:11 > 0:31:16Steve, can we divert some to Crunchy Nut? Give me Crunchy Nut!
0:31:16 > 0:31:19Go, Crunchy Nut! Do it, Steve.
0:31:19 > 0:31:20Yay!
0:31:22 > 0:31:26Cornflakes go that way, Crunchy Nut down that way.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30- Am I going there next?- You'll be going there very shortly, yeah.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33- I'm becoming very fond of you. - Well, the feeling's mutual.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42Cornflakes have been the same shape and size as they were
0:31:42 > 0:31:45when they were first invented over 100 years ago.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48But what if you prefer your breakfast cereal
0:31:48 > 0:31:50more biscuit shaped?
0:31:50 > 0:31:53Cherry's been to find out how Weetabix is made.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05This is the most popular cereal in the UK.
0:32:05 > 0:32:10We eat over ten million of these every morning.
0:32:10 > 0:32:15Producing that many biscuits takes a massive amount of wheat.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19It used to come from all over the UK, and sometimes abroad,
0:32:19 > 0:32:23but six years ago, this cereal factory in Northamptonshire made
0:32:23 > 0:32:29a big decision to grow every single grain within a 50 mile radius.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31Closer contact with the wheat farms means
0:32:31 > 0:32:36a more consistent crop and less damage to the environment.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40I've come to visit one of their 160 farmers.
0:32:40 > 0:32:41Wow!
0:32:41 > 0:32:43Oh, that's amazing.
0:32:43 > 0:32:47Robert Barnes supplies enough wheat for about 150 million
0:32:47 > 0:32:49wheat biscuits.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54This is a monster mountain of wheat.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57In this barn, we've got 2,500 tonnes
0:32:57 > 0:33:00of wheat destined for Weetabix.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02That's absolutely staggering.
0:33:02 > 0:33:07- We have one of the best climates for growing wheat in the world.- Do we?
0:33:07 > 0:33:12So you're telling me that England is a great climate to grow wheat?
0:33:12 > 0:33:15When the temperature gets too hot, the wheat plant will shut down
0:33:15 > 0:33:17and the yield will be suppressed.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20In southern Europe, they won't get the yield we'll get.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23- Because the temperatures are too high.- Because they're too high.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26So delicate. It's a little princess, isn't it?
0:33:27 > 0:33:31The wheat is harvested in the height of summer and stored for up
0:33:31 > 0:33:33to ten months.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37It has to be kept cool to prevent pest infestation,
0:33:37 > 0:33:39so its temperature needs constant monitoring.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42We have remote sensors in the grain that have little radio
0:33:42 > 0:33:47transmitters on and it'll say, "I'm too warm here, I need the fans on."
0:33:47 > 0:33:49So it'll start my fans to cool,
0:33:49 > 0:33:54and that fan will draw the air down through the grain and up
0:33:54 > 0:33:57through the column to cool the grain down to five degrees.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59I had no idea it was so hi-tech.
0:34:03 > 0:34:07Every year, Robert fills 100 trucks with wheat to keep up with
0:34:07 > 0:34:10demand from the factory.
0:34:10 > 0:34:14That's a 29 tonne truckload of wheat.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22That might sound like a lot, but up the road is the world's largest
0:34:22 > 0:34:28Weetabix factory, and they go through ten truckloads every single day.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32At the factory, it's cleaned and softened in water before
0:34:32 > 0:34:37being pressure cooked with salt, sugar, vitamins and malt.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40That's amazing. Oh, wow.
0:34:40 > 0:34:45Showing me the just cooked wheat is factory manager Gordon Riddick.
0:34:45 > 0:34:49So you can feel it's quite sticky, it's quite moist, quite soft.
0:34:49 > 0:34:55- Quite pliable. And smells fantastic. - That is... Oh, that's the dream.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57Malty cooked wheat.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02The wheat is then pressed into flakes by one of
0:35:02 > 0:35:06the 48 rolling mills in this huge milling room.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13This is what we call the cathedral. It's such a large building.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16- It's magnificent.- Absolutely.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19That is so nearly Weetabix.
0:35:19 > 0:35:24- That's an individual grain been squashed.- Squashed.- Squashed.
0:35:24 > 0:35:29They cram around 365 wheat grains into every biscuit.
0:35:29 > 0:35:34If you want to take a whole handful, squeeze it tight in your hands.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38It's just the moisture content and the compression that form the biscuit.
0:35:38 > 0:35:43- It's a Weetabix!- It's a Weetabix. - Pressure...- And moisture.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46- And moisture.- Yes, appliance of physics. That's all it is.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48It looks a little bit like a squashed tennis ball,
0:35:48 > 0:35:49but it's all right.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54All the grain flakes are carried along to the biscuit machine,
0:35:54 > 0:35:56where they tumble into moulds.
0:35:56 > 0:36:01This is fabulous, I can absolutely see
0:36:01 > 0:36:03now how the Weetabix are being formed.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10Once the biscuits are shaped, they're twice baked.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16- How long is this oven?- This oven is 150 foot long.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18Almost comical.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22Here we make 250,000 biscuits every single hour.
0:36:22 > 0:36:28- That equates to 13 million biscuits for the whole site.- A day?- A day.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32End to end, they would stretch from here to Aberdeen and back again.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40And 45 minutes after the wheat grains went into the pressure
0:36:40 > 0:36:45cooker, they've become Britain's top-selling cereal.
0:36:45 > 0:36:46Oooh!
0:36:46 > 0:36:50This is the end of the process, this is us ready to pack the biscuits.
0:36:52 > 0:36:56- Where do they go?- They go all over the UK, all over Europe.
0:37:00 > 0:37:05Every grain of wheat has been grown locally, so whether this ends
0:37:05 > 0:37:09up on a breakfast table in Brighton or Berlin,
0:37:09 > 0:37:14it's all thanks to the farmers around this factory here in Northamptonshire.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30It's five hours 39 minutes since the raw corn kernels were delivered.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33And back at the factory, I'm now in the coating room,
0:37:33 > 0:37:38where my ordinary cornflakes are about to be Crunchy Nutted.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41So these peanuts are the nuts on the Crunchy Nut?
0:37:41 > 0:37:42Yes. They come from the Americas.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46We take them as whole peanuts, then we slice them through and you get that.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48How do you stick the nuts to the cornflake?
0:37:48 > 0:37:52We use honey, from the Americas again. Molasses sugar and vitamins.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56- There's, like, a syrup to form a gloop.- Why don't you use British honey?
0:37:56 > 0:37:58We haven't got anything against British honey.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01We need consistent stuff, like, 365 days a year.
0:38:01 > 0:38:06- Good?- Of course it's good. It's a cornflake, nuts and honey.- Yeah.
0:38:07 > 0:38:12Every 24 hours, the factory mixes together ten tonnes of nut,
0:38:12 > 0:38:17three tonnes of honey and two tonnes of molasses, a sweet syrup.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22On a bigger scale.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30In this room here is your base cornflake. Then you're adding
0:38:30 > 0:38:35your honey, your molasses sugar, your vitamin profile and your nuts, all in there.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38They're spinning around, they've been coated in that drum.
0:38:38 > 0:38:42The sweet molasses and honey glue plus sugar mean there's just over
0:38:42 > 0:38:47two and a half teaspoons of sugar in your average bowl of Crunchy Nut.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51- It's the equivalent of just over 3,000 bowls a minute.- No way.- Yeah.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53- No way.- Yeah.
0:38:53 > 0:38:57As they fall out, they're evenly coated onto this bed here.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59That is a sugary rake.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02My grandmother used to make me go out in autumn and do that with
0:39:02 > 0:39:04a ton of leaves.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07- Obviously it's got to dry out now a little bit.- That's right.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09At the minute, you can see it's shiny and it's hot.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13What happens now, it goes through the drying process
0:39:13 > 0:39:16and then it becomes the standard, dry Crunchy Nut cornflakes that you're used to.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23Most of the breakfast cereal we buy is sold ready to eat,
0:39:23 > 0:39:26you just add milk and "boof", it's ready.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31But there are signs of a breakfast revolution.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34The market for cold cereals has barely changed over the past
0:39:34 > 0:39:39five years, while porridge sales have zoomed up nearly 60%.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43Cherry is investigating its appeal.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51There are three bestselling types of oats.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53Traditional Scottish oatmeal,
0:39:53 > 0:39:56which is simply roughly ground oat kernels.
0:39:56 > 0:40:01Jumbo rolled oat meal is whole kernels steamed and flattened.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05And pre-cooked and finely ground instant porridge,
0:40:05 > 0:40:10which is the big hitter, winning over half of all hot cereal sales.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12But does it taste as good,
0:40:12 > 0:40:16and do you as much good as traditional or jumbo rolled porridge?
0:40:19 > 0:40:24Scoffing more porridge than anyone else are 25- to 34-year-olds,
0:40:24 > 0:40:29so we're going to test all three types on early morning city commuters.
0:40:30 > 0:40:31It's just turned 6am,
0:40:31 > 0:40:34but already there is a stream of people going to work.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38Today, we're going to ask the hungry office workers to try three
0:40:38 > 0:40:42different porridges and tell us which one is their favourite.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46It's a porridge showdown and there can be only one winner.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48We're cooking up all three types.
0:40:50 > 0:40:55In the Scottish oat corner is home-grown chef Gizzi Erskine.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59Backing the jumbo rolled oat is Neil Hargett.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03A childhood porridge enthusiastic, he's recently rediscovered
0:41:03 > 0:41:06its joys and now eats it religiously.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12And then there's me, armed with instant porridge, which is great
0:41:12 > 0:41:15because my porridge-making skills are a bit rubbish.
0:41:15 > 0:41:20Welcome to the porridge showdown. I'm very excited to have you here.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22So, the rules of the day are,
0:41:22 > 0:41:26you have to use the ingredients provided to you.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29You have porridge, milk, water, salt.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31You can use them in any proportion you like.
0:41:31 > 0:41:36- No fancy toppings, just salt, no sugar.- Just salt?
0:41:36 > 0:41:40- Yes, and I'm watching you. Are you ready?- Ready?- Ready.
0:41:40 > 0:41:41Right, let's do this.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47Chef Gizzi starts her Scottish oats cooking in water.
0:41:47 > 0:41:52Her 30 minute recipe uses equal parts milk to oats.
0:41:52 > 0:41:56Why do you cook it so slowly and for such a long time?
0:41:56 > 0:42:00The slower you cook, the sort of more evenly it's going to cook.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03A lot of people don't cook their oats properly, there's too much bite to them.
0:42:03 > 0:42:07I'm going to put some salt in there as well.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11Porridge oats contain a soluble fibre called beta-glucan,
0:42:11 > 0:42:16which lowers cholesterol and can help control blood sugar levels.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19It can even reduce the risk of heart disease.
0:42:19 > 0:42:24'Neil has more reason than most for championing this healthy breakfast.'
0:42:24 > 0:42:26How often do you have porridge?
0:42:26 > 0:42:28- I have porridge virtually every day.- Really?!
0:42:28 > 0:42:30- Virtually every day.- Why is that?
0:42:30 > 0:42:32I had a heart attack
0:42:32 > 0:42:36and I went off the fried breakfasts and everything else
0:42:36 > 0:42:38and back to basics.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41- So the porridge has really helped your health?- Yeah.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45Neil is using twice the quantity of milk to his jumbo rolled oats.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48You put the oats in a pan, you put the milk in the pan,
0:42:48 > 0:42:50you serve it while it's getting warm.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52And his porridge needs 10 minutes.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59Gizzi and Neil have nearly finished their porridge.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02I'd better crack on with mine. The instructions say...
0:43:02 > 0:43:05add milk, cook for two minutes.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07I think even I can't get that wrong.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16'All three porridges are nearly cooked and there's
0:43:16 > 0:43:19'already quite a difference.'
0:43:19 > 0:43:23'Gizzi seems the creamiest, Neil's definitely has more texture
0:43:23 > 0:43:28'and mine... Well, I'm starting to feel a little less confident.'
0:43:28 > 0:43:32- Mine's very beigy brown and yours is a kind of creamy white.- Yeah...
0:43:32 > 0:43:36Also mine smells like... Mine smells like biscuits.
0:43:38 > 0:43:42'Unsweetened instant oats do have the same health value as the others
0:43:42 > 0:43:45'but, according to the latest research
0:43:45 > 0:43:47'from the British Journal of Nutrition,
0:43:47 > 0:43:50'Scottish or rolled oats metabolise slower
0:43:50 > 0:43:53'and keep you feeling fuller for longer.'
0:43:55 > 0:43:57OK, so we've got our three porridges.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00- Are you confident?- Dead confident. - Yes?
0:44:00 > 0:44:04- I'm pretty confident.- Yeah? Let's see which ones are best.- Right.- OK.
0:44:09 > 0:44:11Here are three porridges.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14Please could you taste them and tell us which one you like the most?
0:44:14 > 0:44:17- This one's already... It's not as thick.- Tastes more milky.
0:44:17 > 0:44:21- Yeah, it's more like rice pudding. - So which one is your favourite?
0:44:21 > 0:44:23I'm going to go for the middle one, the creamy, ricey one.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26- So am I.- Same here, yeah.
0:44:26 > 0:44:27Do you like porridge?
0:44:27 > 0:44:29- I love porridge.- Do you?! - OK, that's good.
0:44:33 > 0:44:36- Mmm.- I can just tell from the noises that you've made
0:44:36 > 0:44:38which one you like the most.
0:44:38 > 0:44:41I think this one is my favourite.
0:44:41 > 0:44:43- So do you eat porridge?- Yes.
0:44:43 > 0:44:45So which one is your favourite?
0:44:45 > 0:44:47I think for me it's probably the middle one.
0:44:49 > 0:44:51It's thick, it's porridgy.
0:44:51 > 0:44:53I like this the most.
0:44:53 > 0:44:55I think that one.
0:44:55 > 0:44:57I think I like this one.
0:45:04 > 0:45:08- That's all right. - Yes!- You've nailed it!
0:45:08 > 0:45:10'Although we only tested a small sample,
0:45:10 > 0:45:13'we've had some strong opinions
0:45:13 > 0:45:15'about the different types of porridge.'
0:45:15 > 0:45:16So the results are in.
0:45:16 > 0:45:20I came last with four.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24- Neil, you were next with seven.- Ahh.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27And, Gizzi, you blew us out the water with 11!
0:45:30 > 0:45:34So there you have it, Gizzi's traditional slow-cooked porridge
0:45:34 > 0:45:35won hands down.
0:45:35 > 0:45:40So if you want a really rich and creamy porridge in the morning,
0:45:40 > 0:45:42you may have to get up just a little bit earlier.
0:45:52 > 0:45:56My Crunchy Nut Cornflakes have reached the packing area
0:45:56 > 0:45:58of the factory just over six hours
0:45:58 > 0:46:01since they came here as corn kernels.
0:46:01 > 0:46:03First stop is the weighing room.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06Every click you hear is a bag of Crunchy Nut Cornflakes being
0:46:06 > 0:46:09weighed out to form a perfect 500g packet.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12It's like it chorus of metal frogs.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17It gives you a really clear indication of how fast
0:46:17 > 0:46:19- you're making them.- Yeah.
0:46:19 > 0:46:22It's not as simple as each hopper separately weighing out
0:46:22 > 0:46:25500g of cornflakes.
0:46:25 > 0:46:29Each of these metal pans contains a weight somewhere between
0:46:29 > 0:46:31100, maybe up to 200g of food.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35So, for example, that pan might have 100g in it,
0:46:35 > 0:46:38that might have 200g in it,
0:46:38 > 0:46:42that might have 203, and that one might have sort of 98.
0:46:42 > 0:46:44What the computer programme does,
0:46:44 > 0:46:47it says there's eight tonnes there all with various different weights.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50It selects the best combination of those weights in those pans
0:46:50 > 0:46:52to give you the 500g.
0:46:52 > 0:46:55That is a stupid system! That's just confuses everything.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58Why don't you just weigh out a box worth in one hopper?
0:46:58 > 0:47:01Because every cornflake, or Crunchy Nut Cornflake, is slightly different.
0:47:01 > 0:47:05So to get an exact weight on the product is very, very difficult.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10Each precise combination of cornflakes drops directly
0:47:10 > 0:47:16into a bag, which is heat-sealed bottom and top.
0:47:17 > 0:47:20To prevent any defective bags getting through,
0:47:20 > 0:47:23they go past a sensor that measures them exactly.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27This little blue box here is a bit like a laser beam.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30That laser beam detected the correct length of that bag.
0:47:30 > 0:47:34So if the bag's burst, if you deviate from set length,
0:47:34 > 0:47:35that would be rejected.
0:47:37 > 0:47:40- You're a good teacher, you know that?- Thank you very much!
0:47:43 > 0:47:46Over in the packaging department,
0:47:46 > 0:47:49cardboard is being turned from flat pack into boxes
0:47:49 > 0:47:51in one slick move.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54The machine even opens each box as it goes.
0:47:54 > 0:47:56That's genius!
0:47:56 > 0:47:58Six hours and three minutes ago,
0:47:58 > 0:48:01each one of these Crunchy Nut Cornflakes
0:48:01 > 0:48:03was a plain little kernel of corn.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06Now, to make sure they're all as perfect as they should be,
0:48:06 > 0:48:09Jim Carney in quality control carries out a random check
0:48:09 > 0:48:11every two hours.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15- How long have you been doing this, Jim?- A long time - 42 years.
0:48:15 > 0:48:18- 42 years! So what year did you start?- 1973.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21If you do find a problem, does that mean you have to stop
0:48:21 > 0:48:23- the whole batch? - It depends on the defect.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26If it's a minor, then we can make an adjustment accordingly.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29If it's a possible hold, then we stop the line
0:48:29 > 0:48:31and we tell relevant supervision.
0:48:31 > 0:48:34So how many boxes of cereal are we likely to throw away?
0:48:34 > 0:48:38- Probably about 10,000.- Wow! That can't happen very often.
0:48:38 > 0:48:41- Hopefully not, but it does happen. - It does happen.- Yes.
0:48:42 > 0:48:46There's a detailed checklist but Jimmy is so experienced,
0:48:46 > 0:48:48'he knows in an instant if there's a problem.'
0:48:48 > 0:48:52- Smell the inside of the box...- You do what?!
0:48:52 > 0:48:53You smell the inside of the box.
0:48:53 > 0:48:56What can you smell from the inside of a box, Jim?!
0:48:56 > 0:48:58Well, it's hard to describe - it's through experience,
0:48:58 > 0:49:01but sometimes the cardboard itself can actually taste...
0:49:01 > 0:49:04Or smell off and then we have to report it.
0:49:04 > 0:49:06You know like a wine buff has a perfect nose?
0:49:06 > 0:49:08Can you honestly stick your nose over a box
0:49:08 > 0:49:11- and tell me if it's wrong or not?- Yes.- Really?- Yes.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14You do realise you're telling me you can tell the difference
0:49:14 > 0:49:18- between fresh and stale cardboard? - Yes.- Jimmy, I love you.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21Give me a high five. That is just remarkable!
0:49:21 > 0:49:23So, OK, once we've done the box, then what are we looking for?
0:49:23 > 0:49:27Right, make sure there's a good seal.
0:49:27 > 0:49:29That seems fine.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32You pour the contents into this bowl here and feel it.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34And feel it against this?
0:49:34 > 0:49:36Yes, your standard batch of Crunchy Nut.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38- That's your template, if you like?- Yes.
0:49:38 > 0:49:40We're looking for similarity.
0:49:40 > 0:49:42Lighter or darker, or too much coating
0:49:42 > 0:49:46or not enough coating and then I have a taste.
0:49:46 > 0:49:49- Can I?- Yeah, by all means.
0:49:49 > 0:49:51The peanuts, the syrup, the honey...
0:49:51 > 0:49:54And then we go to the reference and try that one.
0:49:54 > 0:49:57Actually, that really does smell heavily of peanut,
0:49:57 > 0:49:59which I've never even considered before.
0:49:59 > 0:50:01- To me, it's fine. - Jim, I believe you.
0:50:01 > 0:50:04You have got an expert nose when it comes to breakfast cereal.
0:50:04 > 0:50:05Thank you.
0:50:09 > 0:50:12The humble cereal has come a long way in the last 100 years.
0:50:12 > 0:50:16But the most important development came in the 1950s when admen
0:50:16 > 0:50:19realised that the secret weapon in selling a box of cereal
0:50:19 > 0:50:22wasn't the cereal, it was the box itself.
0:50:30 > 0:50:32We in Britain eat more breakfast cereal
0:50:32 > 0:50:35than any other nation in Europe.
0:50:35 > 0:50:39In fact, 87% of British adults sit down to a bowl every day.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45Back in the first half of the 20th century,
0:50:45 > 0:50:48eating cereal had already become well-established.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51But it was in 1950s that sealed the deal
0:50:51 > 0:50:54for our love affair with cereal.
0:50:54 > 0:50:57They're Grrreat!
0:50:57 > 0:51:00'I want to find out what triggered the start
0:51:00 > 0:51:05'of cereal domination after the war from advertising guru Robin Wight.'
0:51:05 > 0:51:10Rationing disappeared, the sugar-coated product arrived
0:51:10 > 0:51:13and kids gobbled them up.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16And then, at the same time almost, television arrived
0:51:16 > 0:51:19with television advertising promoting these new products.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24The other game-changer for cereal companies was
0:51:24 > 0:51:27a crucial shift in family dynamics.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30The power for or what I called the "tyrant child" emerge.
0:51:30 > 0:51:34There was a shift to recognise the power of children.
0:51:34 > 0:51:36They were the big consumers.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43Advertisers responded by inventing pester power.
0:51:43 > 0:51:47Dood-L-Oon, you get me free.
0:51:47 > 0:51:49And me.
0:51:49 > 0:51:54Not only were we showing the brand to a child very early on,
0:51:54 > 0:51:57we were then using, what is now called, loyalty marketing,
0:51:57 > 0:51:59so that irrespective of the taste,
0:51:59 > 0:52:02they'd like to have the toy, they'd like to play games
0:52:02 > 0:52:04on the side of the pack.
0:52:04 > 0:52:07All of these things are unfolding in Britain and British kids,
0:52:07 > 0:52:10and I was one of them, really loved it.
0:52:10 > 0:52:11It was fun, it was great.
0:52:11 > 0:52:13Of course, while we were enjoying it,
0:52:13 > 0:52:15these brands were embedded in our brains.
0:52:15 > 0:52:18So even now, all those years later, what's my favourite cereal?
0:52:18 > 0:52:20It's Weetabix.
0:52:23 > 0:52:27Cereal is the only food on the menu at one London cafe,
0:52:27 > 0:52:30owned by Gary and Alan Keery.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33So I went to find out why it's still so appealing to adults.
0:52:35 > 0:52:39I don't think I've ever seen so many cereals all in one place!
0:52:39 > 0:52:41It's quite astounding, isn't it?
0:52:41 > 0:52:43I mean, what is so special about cereal?
0:52:43 > 0:52:45Well, for us it was when we were kids,
0:52:45 > 0:52:47it was the first thing we fell in love with.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50We remember going to the supermarket and given that choice once
0:52:50 > 0:52:52a week to buy a cereal that you had to eat for the rest of the week,
0:52:52 > 0:52:54and it was the biggest responsibility you had.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57So do you think that cereals are really just a childhood thing?
0:52:57 > 0:53:00I think everything is all about nostalgia these days.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03People like to feel a kid again, even though they're not.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07We always used to, in the mornings, turn over the cereal box
0:53:07 > 0:53:10- and you used to do all the little puzzles on the back.- Oh, yeah!
0:53:10 > 0:53:13We had to pour out the whole cereal and get the toy.
0:53:13 > 0:53:16And nostalgia certainly seems to pay.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19The six top sellers in the UK today were all invented more
0:53:19 > 0:53:22than 30 years ago.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25Some ad campaigns have barely changed since the successes
0:53:25 > 0:53:29of the 1950s and they're still as effective now
0:53:29 > 0:53:31as they were back then.
0:53:31 > 0:53:33I loved Coco Pops.
0:53:33 > 0:53:35Snap, Crackle and Pop.
0:53:35 > 0:53:36- BOTH:- Snap, Crackle and Pop!
0:53:36 > 0:53:39The cereal industry has never stopped growing,
0:53:39 > 0:53:44and in the UK it's now worth around £1.57 billion.
0:53:54 > 0:53:58At the factory, the final stage of our Crunchy Nut production line
0:53:58 > 0:54:01is the distribution area.
0:54:02 > 0:54:06Nearly six and a half hours since the start of their journey here,
0:54:06 > 0:54:08my cornflakes are boxed up
0:54:08 > 0:54:11and travelling just under 3km from packing
0:54:11 > 0:54:13and over the sky bridge to the warehouse.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18Now, urgent orders for UK supermarkets
0:54:18 > 0:54:21are dispatched straightaway,
0:54:21 > 0:54:24while cereal destined for Europe and the Middle East
0:54:24 > 0:54:26is stored, awaiting shipping.
0:54:26 > 0:54:29The warehouse supervisor is Jeff Bolton.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32How many boxes are you holding in here? Do you know?
0:54:32 > 0:54:35About a quarter of one million. About 10% of what we produce.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38So the ones that go to our UK shops, they don't sit around.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41- No...- Straight onto trucks. - They're straight out the door.
0:54:41 > 0:54:42The scale is unbelievable!
0:54:44 > 0:54:48'Every box of Crunchy Nut cartons has been given a barcode
0:54:48 > 0:54:51'so it can be scanned into the system before getting some
0:54:51 > 0:54:54'top to toe plastic protection.'
0:54:54 > 0:54:58- Hey-hey! - This is a wrapping machine.
0:54:58 > 0:55:02All those Crunchy Nut cartons are going to get wrapped for stabilisation.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05We all need one of those for our suitcase when we go on holiday!
0:55:07 > 0:55:10- It's going to come forward, get labelled.- Yeah, you. I'm not...
0:55:10 > 0:55:12You're not going to get labelled, but I'd watch your back
0:55:12 > 0:55:14- because there's a vehicle coming. - What's happening?!
0:55:14 > 0:55:19- I don't feel safe any more! What's happening?- There's going to be a vehicle coming to collect this.
0:55:19 > 0:55:2222 sophisticated robot shuttles do all the lifting.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27Eight white ones collect the boxes and take them to the loading bay,
0:55:27 > 0:55:31or hand them to the 14 red ones,
0:55:31 > 0:55:34which shelve them ready for dispatch.
0:55:34 > 0:55:35I mean, how do they work?
0:55:35 > 0:55:38Top of the vehicle we've got a laser spinning round,
0:55:38 > 0:55:40we've got a computer inside the truck,
0:55:40 > 0:55:42we've got a computer in the control room
0:55:42 > 0:55:44and that's where it's getting its position from.
0:55:44 > 0:55:47- They are always finding their position.- It also knows where to take it.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50It knows where it's going to, where it's picking, what it's doing.
0:55:50 > 0:55:53All automated and programmed by boffins.
0:55:53 > 0:55:55Do the white ones handover to the red ones?
0:55:55 > 0:55:58- At the end of the conveyer...- No! - ..the red ones will pick them up.
0:55:58 > 0:56:00And the red ones look after the warehouses?
0:56:00 > 0:56:02The red ones look after the warehouse and the storage.
0:56:02 > 0:56:04Do they have a game of cricket?
0:56:04 > 0:56:06- No, they won't mix.- They won't mix. - They won't mix.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15Do you know what? I used to see sci-fi films about this
0:56:15 > 0:56:18- when I was a little kid.- So did I.
0:56:18 > 0:56:22The computer is capable of simultaneously tracking
0:56:22 > 0:56:27all 25,000 cartons heading for Europe and beyond.
0:56:27 > 0:56:28How many humans are there here?
0:56:28 > 0:56:31I have three operators and one craftsman looking after the
0:56:31 > 0:56:34- whole process in here. - Four people and a team of robots?
0:56:34 > 0:56:38- Four people, team of robots. - That is unbelievable.
0:56:38 > 0:56:43That is remarkable. A million boxes of cereal a day.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45Wow! Wow!
0:56:48 > 0:56:51For the past six hours and 40 minutes, I've followed
0:56:51 > 0:56:56corn kernels through a hugely ambitious mega machine process.
0:56:56 > 0:56:59They've been cooked, squashed and stretched,
0:56:59 > 0:57:01toasted and covered in honey and nuts.
0:57:01 > 0:57:04That's it, that's the last pallet.
0:57:04 > 0:57:05Let's get this truck loaded.
0:57:11 > 0:57:14Those Crunchy Nut Cornflakes could be delivered to supermarkets
0:57:14 > 0:57:17within 24 hours of being raw corn.
0:57:17 > 0:57:20Yorkshire and Humberside are the biggest cereal eaters
0:57:20 > 0:57:23in Britain, but they'll also be sent to Europe and all over the
0:57:23 > 0:57:26world, as far away as Asia.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30The scale of this production is very impressive,
0:57:30 > 0:57:35but what really amazes me is the length these people go to.
0:57:35 > 0:57:38They are taking natural products - it's corn,
0:57:38 > 0:57:42honey and nuts and they bend them and they shape them and condition
0:57:42 > 0:57:48them until they give us the exact same cereal every single time,
0:57:48 > 0:57:51bowl after bowl after bowl, millions of times.
0:57:52 > 0:57:54That is impressive.
0:57:59 > 0:58:01'Next time...'
0:58:01 > 0:58:02Bring her in.
0:58:02 > 0:58:05'..we'll take you inside the largest crisp factory in the world...'
0:58:05 > 0:58:07That's a packet of crisps?
0:58:07 > 0:58:11'..as they make 5 million bags of crisps in 24 hours.'
0:58:11 > 0:58:14How did he do it that fast?
0:58:14 > 0:58:17'We'll reveal the secrets to keeping crisps fresh...'
0:58:17 > 0:58:19Every bag of crisps is a bag of nitrogen
0:58:19 > 0:58:23'..and Cherry's on a production line that makes 12 million
0:58:23 > 0:58:24'monster feet a day.'
0:58:24 > 0:58:26It's really mesmerising to watch.
0:58:26 > 0:58:29That is the most crisps I've ever seen in one place!