0:00:02 > 0:00:05Mayonnaise. Every year in Britain we work our way through nearly
0:00:05 > 0:00:0740 million kilos of the stuff.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13And it all starts with thousands of eggs, like these!
0:00:14 > 0:00:19Which go on an incredible journey before ending up in jars like this.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24This time we are in the Netherlands
0:00:24 > 0:00:27with the amazing story of one of our favourite condiments.
0:00:27 > 0:00:28By taking you inside
0:00:28 > 0:00:31one of the largest sauce factories in the world.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37I'm Gregg Wallace.
0:00:37 > 0:00:38HE CACKLES
0:00:38 > 0:00:42And I'll come face-to-face with some cracking technology.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46That may be the best machine I have ever seen!
0:00:47 > 0:00:49I'm Cherry Healy,
0:00:49 > 0:00:53and I'll be revealing the secrets of our favourite sauces,
0:00:53 > 0:00:57including the 2000-year-old recipe for soy sauce.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00- So salty!- Yeah.
0:01:00 > 0:01:01I can taste it.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04While historian Ruth Goodman
0:01:04 > 0:01:08investigates the fishy origins of Worcester sauce.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12So, this idea that they had to discover the fermentation.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14People had been doing it for years.
0:01:16 > 0:01:17Over the next 24 hours,
0:01:17 > 0:01:21this factory will produce three quarters of a million
0:01:21 > 0:01:23jars and bottles of mayonnaise.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26And we're going to show you just how they manage production
0:01:26 > 0:01:28on such a massive scale.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30Welcome to Inside The Factory.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59This is the Heinz factory in the town of Elst in the Netherlands.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01One of the biggest sauce factories in Europe,
0:02:01 > 0:02:05churning out almost a quarter of a million tonnes every year.
0:02:07 > 0:02:12They produce a saucy smorgasbord that includes tomato ketchup,
0:02:12 > 0:02:16brown sauce and salad cream, as well as mayonnaise.
0:02:18 > 0:02:23And, amazingly, over half of what they produce here is sent to the UK.
0:02:25 > 0:02:32This 19.5 acre site runs 24 hours a day and 350 people work here.
0:02:32 > 0:02:37Tonight, we take a look at how they make their traditional mayonnaise
0:02:37 > 0:02:38in jars.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46But before we can start making mayonnaise,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49we need one of the most important ingredients - eggs.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56I'm heading 15 miles east, close to the city of Arnhem,
0:02:56 > 0:03:00to one of 200 farms that supply our factory.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06This one is run by Theo Janson.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10His 23,000 free-range hens lay their eggs
0:03:10 > 0:03:14in this 2,600 square metre barn.
0:03:16 > 0:03:17Theo.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20Hello. Hello, Gregg.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23This is far more noisy than I expected.
0:03:23 > 0:03:24Yes, very much noise.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28Can you explain to me, please, how you collect the eggs?
0:03:28 > 0:03:33OK, in the morning, about seven, the lights go on
0:03:33 > 0:03:35and the chickens wake up.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38And, then, in a few hours, they get laying the eggs.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40And the eggs roll down,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43- cos the nests are a bit... - Ah, I see!- ..like that.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47So, the nest is sloped?
0:03:47 > 0:03:51- Yes.- And, at the bottom of the slope is a conveyor belt.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55- Yes, a belt.- And the eggs gently roll down onto the belt.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59How many eggs every day?
0:03:59 > 0:04:02We have about 21,500 eggs.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Over 20,000 eggs rolling down a hill?
0:04:07 > 0:04:08Yes. Every day.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13This is where our mayonnaise production line begins.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Most hens lay an egg a day
0:04:17 > 0:04:20and the factory is depending on them because,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23without eggs, there's no mayo.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27The chickens sleep and lay in the barn.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29The rest of the day, they head outside to play.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35Meanwhile, their eggs are travelling 80 metres along a series
0:04:35 > 0:04:38of conveyor belts to the sorting area.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41So, the eggs are rolling in there.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44- Yeah. - So, what are you picking out here?
0:04:44 > 0:04:45The wrong ones I get out.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47What you mean wrong ones? Why wrong?
0:04:47 > 0:04:50Broken eggs, or a very big egg,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53because a very big egg can't go through the machine.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Each egg is delicately placed into a tray ready for transportation,
0:05:01 > 0:05:03always pointed side down,
0:05:03 > 0:05:05which ensures the yolk sits perfectly
0:05:05 > 0:05:07in the centre of the shell.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11It's a machine but it has to be very gentle.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14It has. Very gentle.
0:05:14 > 0:05:15If this goes wrong,
0:05:15 > 0:05:19it must make the biggest mess you can possibly imagine.
0:05:19 > 0:05:20Yes.
0:05:21 > 0:05:28The 21,500 eggs rolling along here will be enough to make nearly 11,000
0:05:28 > 0:05:29jars of mayonnaise.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34But they're not going anywhere until a code has been stamped
0:05:34 > 0:05:35onto their shells.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37This is a sort of egg passport.
0:05:37 > 0:05:43We are not allowed to move any egg from our company without a print.
0:05:43 > 0:05:44And what does it say?
0:05:44 > 0:05:47There is a one, one means free-range.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52If there is, for example, a zero, it's organic.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55- OK.- Two is for a barn egg.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58- Right.- And three is in a cage.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01Is that for eggs in the UK the same?
0:06:01 > 0:06:03- Yeah. - And what are the other numbers?
0:06:03 > 0:06:07It's the number of our company, and the number of the barn.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11The code means each egg can be tracked
0:06:11 > 0:06:13right up until the very moment it's cracked open.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17You know, we all eat eggs.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20I don't know how many people read eggs.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23How long does it take to process all those eggs?
0:06:23 > 0:06:24About an hour.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27What do you do with the rest of your day?
0:06:27 > 0:06:28Keep my wife company.
0:06:29 > 0:06:30- Good plan.- Yeah.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36While Theo keeps his wife company,
0:06:36 > 0:06:38the free-range eggs are loaded onto pallets.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41Then they're off on another journey.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43They travel 40 miles north
0:06:43 > 0:06:46from the farm to a specialist processing factory...
0:06:49 > 0:06:53..which receives and processes up to four million eggs
0:06:53 > 0:06:55every single day.
0:06:56 > 0:06:57Careful! Don't break any!
0:06:58 > 0:07:03In charge of this huge undertaking is Jan Zuiderveld.
0:07:05 > 0:07:06Jan?
0:07:06 > 0:07:08- Yes, hello.- I'm Gregg.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10- Nice to meet you.- Jan,
0:07:10 > 0:07:13I don't think anybody really has seen this many eggs.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Well, there are many eggs here,
0:07:16 > 0:07:20approximately 10 million ladies are working to produce these eggs.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26The ladies in question produced this lot just 2.5 hours ago.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30Now the green trays are removed from the pallets
0:07:30 > 0:07:32and their fragile cargo is lifted out.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38That looks like a very delicate operation.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42Yes, it is. Each egg is taken individually by the suckers,
0:07:42 > 0:07:44and transferred onto the belt.
0:07:44 > 0:07:45And spun around and placed down?
0:07:45 > 0:07:47Yeah, exactly.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51I'm just nervous. I'm watching eggs flying through the air,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54held up by adapted vacuum cleaners, and it makes me nervous.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Yeah, no, but nothing will happen.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00We want eggs only to be cracked when it's necessary, and not before.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05Well, that's my eggs sorted.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07You can't make mayonnaise without them.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12This particular mayo was launched just 18 months ago.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16Cherry went to find out how its recipe was developed.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20Three years ago,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23the consumer scientists at this innovation centre were asked
0:08:23 > 0:08:25to come up with a new mayonnaise.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27Sounds simple enough?
0:08:27 > 0:08:29Well, it turns out, not quite.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35Manuel Elgabi is the head of the sensory team here.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37- Hi, Manuel, nice to meet you, I'm Cherry.- Hi, Cherry.
0:08:37 > 0:08:42Tasked with developing a mayonnaise everyone in Europe would like.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45What was your mission?
0:08:45 > 0:08:47It was a big challenge for us
0:08:47 > 0:08:50to develop the best mayonnaise recipe for Europe.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52That sounds simple enough,
0:08:52 > 0:08:54just make a really fantastic mayonnaise.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56It's not that simple and I'm going to show you now why.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02Manuel checked out the most popular mayonnaise on the market
0:09:02 > 0:09:04in each of 11 European countries
0:09:04 > 0:09:07and found they were remarkably different.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10This is, for example, like mayonnaise from the UK.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12So, this one, I imagine, will be very familiar.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Very eggy, a bit salty.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17OK, that's quite typical.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21Let's taste one from Belgium.
0:09:21 > 0:09:22OK.
0:09:25 > 0:09:26Is that more vinegary?
0:09:26 > 0:09:28- Mm-hmm. You got it.- Yes!- You got it.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32- Slightly creamier.- And what about the colour, for example?
0:09:32 > 0:09:36- Definitely more yellow, and less lumpy than a UK one.- Yeah.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Then you have the French one.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44- This is very yellow. - It is yellow, it's thick,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46but also you can pick easily...
0:09:46 > 0:09:49- Yes, mustard.- You got it. - Very mustard.- You got it.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53In Poland, they like an extra thick mayo.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55Almost looks like porridge.
0:09:55 > 0:09:56- Yeah, like porridge.- Ach!
0:09:56 > 0:09:59While the Germans like it sugary.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Gosh, that's like jam.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04- It's really sweet. - Really, really, really sweet.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07I mean, they're so different.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Yeah, as you can see,
0:10:09 > 0:10:13differences in colour, texture, taste, from salt,
0:10:13 > 0:10:16sweet, sour, mustardy.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20Flavour preferences identified,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22Manuel's team next looked at
0:10:22 > 0:10:25how people in each country used mayonnaise.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29Most of us are familiar with the Dutch love of mayo on chips...
0:10:29 > 0:10:31Oh! Is there anything better?
0:10:31 > 0:10:34..but the team's development chef, Paul Murphy,
0:10:34 > 0:10:38discovered some more unusual uses.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41When I think of mayo, I think of chips and sandwiches.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44Maybe salad. But how else do people use mayonnaise?
0:10:44 > 0:10:47We discovered that mayonnaise is used certainly in southern Europe,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50especially Spain, to marinade fish for baking.
0:10:50 > 0:10:51- What?!- Seriously.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55That is really odd, to marinade something in mayonnaise.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57It's as simple as brushing the fish with mayonnaise,
0:10:57 > 0:11:00it's baked in the oven, and that really locks in the flavour and the moisture.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Interesting. Interesting.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Other nationalities used mayo for everything
0:11:07 > 0:11:10from dips to couscous salad.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14In the UK, it's very popular to have pizza crusts to dip into mayonnaise
0:11:14 > 0:11:17- and other sauces.- I have to say, I absolutely love doing that.
0:11:17 > 0:11:18- I didn't know that was a thing. - Yeah.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20I just thought that was something that my household did.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22That's something that horrified
0:11:22 > 0:11:24- some of our colleagues from across Europe.- Really?!
0:11:28 > 0:11:31So, you've done your research,
0:11:31 > 0:11:35you know what kind of flavours the different areas like,
0:11:35 > 0:11:37and you know how people eat their mayonnaise.
0:11:37 > 0:11:38- Right.- So, what happens next?
0:11:38 > 0:11:41How do you then create the perfect mayonnaise?
0:11:41 > 0:11:43You have to listen to consumers.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45- OK.- And this is what we did.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51How many people tried and tested your recipes?
0:11:51 > 0:11:55In total, during the whole process, more than 5,000 consumers.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57So, this has been a huge mission?
0:11:57 > 0:11:59You're right.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Manuel tested and rejected
0:12:02 > 0:12:07over 70 recipes until a winner was found.
0:12:07 > 0:12:12So, this is definitively the European mayonnaise?
0:12:12 > 0:12:13OK.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16Very balanced.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19I can absolutely see why you are so proud of that.
0:12:19 > 0:12:24When you develop recipes, it's about what the consumers like.
0:12:24 > 0:12:25But, in this case,
0:12:25 > 0:12:29consumers loved this recipe and I love it, too.
0:12:32 > 0:12:37So, next time you dip a chip, spare a thought for Manuel and his team.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48Back at the egg processing factory,
0:12:48 > 0:12:52my eggs have, so far, been handled with kid gloves,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54but that's about to change.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56They need to be cracked open.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Mayonnaise requires only the egg yolk,
0:12:59 > 0:13:03so this must be separated from the white.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06Jan has a test for me.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08OK, Gregg, I have a challenge for you.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11How many eggs can you separate in ten seconds?
0:13:11 > 0:13:14I think you'd be lucky to do one in ten seconds.
0:13:14 > 0:13:15Try it. I will count for you.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18- You're going to time me?- Yeah.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21- 10...- Whoa, whoa! Wait for it! Haven't got me hands on it! HE LAUGHS
0:13:21 > 0:13:24- OK.- Go!- OK. 10,
0:13:24 > 0:13:269, 8,
0:13:26 > 0:13:297, 6,
0:13:29 > 0:13:305, 4...
0:13:30 > 0:13:33- Uh-oh, I broke it!- 3,
0:13:33 > 0:13:342,
0:13:34 > 0:13:351.
0:13:37 > 0:13:38OK, that counts.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40That's two.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Shall I show you a machine which can break, in ten seconds,
0:13:43 > 0:13:45280 eggs?
0:13:45 > 0:13:46No way.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Two hours and 55 minutes after they were collected,
0:13:53 > 0:13:57the eggs reach the SANOVO OptiBreaker 12
0:13:57 > 0:14:00egg breaking machine.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Its job is simple - crack open the eggs
0:14:02 > 0:14:05and separate the yolks from the whites.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08And at a rate of nearly 1,700 a minute,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11it does this very efficiently.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15What on earth is going on?
0:14:15 > 0:14:17How is it doing that?
0:14:17 > 0:14:19It's got egg yolks on the top,
0:14:19 > 0:14:21and it's got a cup of egg whites...
0:14:21 > 0:14:24- How is it doing that?- It's not doing it that much different
0:14:24 > 0:14:27than you just did with the bowl.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31The eggs come through the machine, a knife will cut the shell,
0:14:31 > 0:14:35then the egg breaks, the contents will fall down, and, as you can see,
0:14:35 > 0:14:39the yolk will stay in the upper cup and the egg white
0:14:39 > 0:14:41will flow nicely to the lower cup.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46So, the yolk is in one little plastic hand,
0:14:46 > 0:14:51and the egg white is in a little plastic tray underneath?
0:14:51 > 0:14:53- That's correct.- That is amazing!
0:14:53 > 0:14:56That may be the best machine I have ever seen.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01The shells shoot out of the side,
0:15:01 > 0:15:03while the white is siphoned off,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06destined for use in things like cakes and meringues.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12The yolks I need for my mayonnaise head out along the shoot.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17Then they're pumped into a 10,000 litre tank.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Next, Jan and his team add salt.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25It's about 20 feet high, full of egg yolks!
0:15:25 > 0:15:27- Yeah, that's right. - And now you add salt?
0:15:27 > 0:15:30- Now we add the salt.- Shall we put the salt in?
0:15:31 > 0:15:33Ba-roop ta-rot ta-trot? HE CHUCKLES
0:15:34 > 0:15:36All right, OK! All right.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38How long is that process now?
0:15:38 > 0:15:42The whole thing itself takes about 30 minutes.
0:15:42 > 0:15:43Why do you add salt?
0:15:43 > 0:15:47Without salt, the shelf life is only two weeks.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49With salt, it can be up to three months.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53Salt increases the shelf life of egg yolks
0:15:53 > 0:15:56from possibly two weeks to possibly three months?
0:15:56 > 0:15:57That's right.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Salt is a natural preservative.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03It creates a hostile environment
0:16:03 > 0:16:08for the organisms that cause food to go off.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11It makes up 11% of my egg yolk mix,
0:16:11 > 0:16:16which is then pasteurised to kill any remaining bacteria.
0:16:16 > 0:16:17What is that?
0:16:17 > 0:16:20That's the container where the final product is packed in.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25Each container will contain 1,000 kilos of salted product.
0:16:25 > 0:16:281,000 kilos of salted egg yolks?
0:16:28 > 0:16:29Yes, that's right.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33That's 49,000 yolks.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37You'd need a very big toasted soldier to dip into that egg yolk.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Just over six hours after my eggs were collected,
0:16:42 > 0:16:46their yolks take a 50 mile journey to the sauce factory.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49They'll soon be playing a very important role
0:16:49 > 0:16:51in the production of my condiment.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56There's enough egg in that container
0:16:56 > 0:16:59to make 25,000 jars of mayonnaise.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04But that's just a tiny proportion of the amount we get through
0:17:04 > 0:17:06every year in the UK.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09Ruth's been finding out when we first fell in love with it.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18Today, mayonnaise is the sauce that lubricates our lunchtime sandwiches
0:17:18 > 0:17:23and salads, as well as our late night fast food.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26But how did this white sauce conquer our taste buds?
0:17:29 > 0:17:32To find out, I have to rewind to the 1960s,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35when American sauce company Hellmann's
0:17:35 > 0:17:37launched their jars of mayonnaise in the UK.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44To see how it transformed the decade's eating habits,
0:17:44 > 0:17:48I'm meeting food anthropologist Kaori O'Connor.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53- What a spread! It's so colourful! - Isn't it gorgeous?
0:17:53 > 0:17:57These are salads from the great days when mayonnaise first came
0:17:57 > 0:18:00- to Britain.- So, what was there before mayonnaise, then?
0:18:00 > 0:18:02Oh, there was salad cream.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05There was this boiled, sour dressing
0:18:05 > 0:18:08that you just dribbled over a naked British salad...
0:18:08 > 0:18:12- I remember that.- ..which was just lettuce, tomato and cucumber.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18This had been Britain's sauce of choice through wartime rationing,
0:18:18 > 0:18:19but this vinegary favourite
0:18:19 > 0:18:22was pushed aside by the more exotic newcomer,
0:18:22 > 0:18:24which introduced British housewives
0:18:24 > 0:18:27to a new world of culinary creativity.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29So, what exactly have we got here?
0:18:29 > 0:18:31Here is a mayonnaise mould.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35Carrot on the top, spinach on the bottom and, in the middle,
0:18:35 > 0:18:36you've got mayonnaise.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42Another, um, innovation
0:18:42 > 0:18:44was Polynesian pineapple with ham.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48You've got some tinned peaches in there as well,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51tossed together with this wonderful mayonnaise sauce,
0:18:51 > 0:18:53and sprinkled over with toasted almonds.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55It is, like, irresistible!
0:18:55 > 0:18:57Very exotic!
0:18:59 > 0:19:02All of these dishes come from popular magazine recipes
0:19:02 > 0:19:04of the time, and the piece de resistance
0:19:04 > 0:19:08was the spectacular frosted party loaf.
0:19:10 > 0:19:11Oh, my goodness!
0:19:11 > 0:19:14Isn't that gorgeous?
0:19:14 > 0:19:16It's a sandwich cake.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19It does look rather cake like, except it's got radishes on it.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23It's bread with layers of ham and salmon and tuna.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26All sort of smothered in mayonnaise?
0:19:26 > 0:19:28- Yes!- Good gracious!
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Mayonnaise, you know, really changed what we eat, like,
0:19:33 > 0:19:36- you've never seen this before. - Never seen this before.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38And it also changes the way we eat.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41Like, not necessarily in formal courses,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44but informally in the garden with this fun food.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46- OK, let's give it a go.- Mm!
0:19:47 > 0:19:49- Very unusual.- Mm.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51Very unusual. Unusual's the word!
0:19:53 > 0:19:58By the 1970s, mayonnaise had conquered British dinner tables.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01And it started to transform eating out, too,
0:20:01 > 0:20:05when American style burger joints burst onto the scene.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07After all, what's a hamburger and fries
0:20:07 > 0:20:09without a good helping of mayo?
0:20:11 > 0:20:15The real American burger brought in a whole new way of eating.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17You picked it up with your hands,
0:20:17 > 0:20:22the mayonnaise ran down your arms and you just enjoyed it!
0:20:27 > 0:20:29And, if you could,
0:20:29 > 0:20:32you got hold of fries and you dipped them in the mayonnaise as well.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38This is a new thing, isn't it, the idea of dipping foods,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41- sharing it across the table. - Oh, dipping, absolutely!
0:20:41 > 0:20:44And mayonnaise really lends itself to this sort of eating.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53Next, mayonnaise was to revolutionise the working lunch.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58In 1981, Marks & Spencer introduced its packet sandwiches,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02and the bestseller was prawn mayo. Just as it is today.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06Cheers, mate, thank you.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09In about 60 years, mayonnaise has done something unique.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13It has become the food for every occasion, from dinner parties,
0:21:13 > 0:21:17eating out, to a quick sandwich at your desk.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21Mind you, I do hope that the frosted party loaf
0:21:21 > 0:21:24never, ever comes back into fashion.
0:21:35 > 0:21:36Back in the Netherlands,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39the egg yolk needed for my mayonnaise
0:21:39 > 0:21:41has made the one-hour journey from
0:21:41 > 0:21:43the processing plant to the main factory.
0:21:45 > 0:21:46At ingredients intake,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49receiving delivery of the other main ingredient
0:21:49 > 0:21:52is logistics manager Dan Schreiber.
0:21:54 > 0:21:55This tanker is full of what?
0:21:55 > 0:21:57- Rapeseed oil.- Rapeseed oil.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01- How much rapeseed oil? - 24.5 tonnes, actually.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03Right, OK. So, what do you do?
0:22:03 > 0:22:06We need to take a sample, of course, and do some basic measurements,
0:22:06 > 0:22:07and then once that's all clear,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10we can unload it and hook it up to our tanks.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12- Can I take the sample?- Yes, you can do that.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14- I can show you. - Is it going to come out...?
0:22:14 > 0:22:16No, no. Normally, not. Normally, not.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20So, basically, you're putting it below that...
0:22:20 > 0:22:24- Oh, here.- Yeah, and then you can lift the lever, the blue one.
0:22:25 > 0:22:2868% of my finished mayonnaise will be oil,
0:22:28 > 0:22:33so it's important to check the quality is up to scratch...
0:22:33 > 0:22:34Perfect.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37..before it's piped into the factory.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40- Who takes it?- You give it to the driver, and he can take it into
0:22:40 > 0:22:42- our lab.- Morning!- Morning. Thank you, sir.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Rapeseed oil is ideal for our recipe,
0:22:47 > 0:22:51because of its light taste and colour.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Test passed, we're ready to unload.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56- Right-oh. Ready, Dan?- Ready.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00We just release the valve and then we put it on.
0:23:00 > 0:23:01Whoa!
0:23:01 > 0:23:03And then putting it on.
0:23:03 > 0:23:04- That?- To the right.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Perfect, we're on.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10It takes an hour and a half
0:23:10 > 0:23:13to unload the oil into these huge tanks.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Plenty of time to check the other ingredients are ready.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21- Well, I recognise this.- Yeah?- Yeah, these are the egg yolks.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23- Definitely.- Right, OK.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25- What is that?- Mustard.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28We use it in mayo kitchen to make our mayonnaise.
0:23:28 > 0:23:29Do you know what type of mustard it is?
0:23:29 > 0:23:32It's not the same as you would put on your potatoes at home.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34It's a little lower oil content,
0:23:34 > 0:23:36so the sharpness is a little bit gone,
0:23:36 > 0:23:39but it's perfect for using in our mayonnaise.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41Oh, right. We've got egg yolks...
0:23:41 > 0:23:44- Yes.- Mustard.- Mustard.
0:23:44 > 0:23:45Oil from the tanker.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Yes. We're done. Let's get it to the kitchen and we...
0:23:48 > 0:23:51- Kitchen? You call it a kitchen? - Yeah.
0:23:51 > 0:23:52My ingredients are collected...
0:23:55 > 0:23:59..and taken to the kitchen by a team of forklift drivers.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05If you asked me to make mayonnaise at home,
0:24:05 > 0:24:08I'd pretty much use the same ingredients as they do here,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11but I don't mind admitting, what goes into another
0:24:11 > 0:24:14of our favourite sauces is a bit more mysterious.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25If, like me, you can't let a week go by without some sushi,
0:24:25 > 0:24:31you might be wondering how this little sachet of soy sauce is made,
0:24:31 > 0:24:35and where. Well, I've travelled miles and miles
0:24:35 > 0:24:37to find the answer.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Today, I'm in Wales.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Abertillery, in the Welsh Valleys,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47is home to Shoda Sauces' European factory.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52Leanne Ford is the technical manager.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56She's introducing me to the secrets of soy's
0:24:56 > 0:24:582,000-year-old Japanese recipe.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01- Hi, Leanne!- Hi, nice to meet you.
0:25:01 > 0:25:02Lovely to meet you.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07So, first things first, what is soy sauce made of?
0:25:07 > 0:25:10OK, so, soy sauce is made of soy beans,
0:25:10 > 0:25:12wheat, water and salt.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14We'll soak the beans in water,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17then we will take the beans and cool them.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Wahey! Whoa! That is one big tin of beans.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27- So, these are soy beans...- Yes.
0:25:27 > 0:25:33- ..and they have been soaked and cooked and cooled?- Yes.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37Soy sauce is made from soy beans - the clue's in the name.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41But the next ingredient is much more surprising.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Mould.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45This koji, mould,
0:25:45 > 0:25:49it's called koji, is absolutely essential for soy sauce brewing.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52Why do you use this one?
0:25:52 > 0:25:54It gives the distinct flavour,
0:25:54 > 0:25:58it gives the characteristics of soy sauce and it is Japanese.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00- Is this where the magic happens? - Yes.
0:26:02 > 0:26:07The mould powder is poured into one tonne of organic wheat.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10This is hoisted up and added into the tank
0:26:10 > 0:26:13of cooked soy beans, where it's all mixed up together.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22From the mixer, it's piped into what looks like
0:26:22 > 0:26:24a silver space capsule.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28- Wow.- OK, so this is the koji machine, as we call it.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33Wow! What goes on inside here?
0:26:33 > 0:26:36OK, so the floor rotates as we fill it.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39And then in here gets turned, and we control the temperature and humidity
0:26:39 > 0:26:41so that the mould can start working.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48This hot tank provides the perfect conditions
0:26:48 > 0:26:50for the koji to grow.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Moulds can make foods inedible,
0:26:53 > 0:26:57but here it's performing an astonishing chemical transformation.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03Over 48 hours, it breaks down the wheat and beans,
0:27:03 > 0:27:05releasing starch and sugars.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11Salt and soft Welsh water are added to the mix.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14And it's pumped into 12 tanks
0:27:14 > 0:27:17that each hold 14,000 litres.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20But it's far from ready.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22Yeast is added to kick-start
0:27:22 > 0:27:25what will be a six-month fermentation process.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27So, this is one of the newest.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31So, this in here, the fermentation process has started.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33It's at the very beginning here, so it's only been in there
0:27:33 > 0:27:35about a month, so it's got five months to go.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38It's here that the distinctive colour,
0:27:38 > 0:27:41flavour and aroma of soy sauce develop.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44- Wow! - SHE GASPS
0:27:45 > 0:27:47I mean, I...
0:27:47 > 0:27:49I can taste it.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51- I mean, it's incredibly strong! - Yeah.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57- It's like having a mouthful of something.- Yes.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59- So salty!- Yeah.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03After half a year of fermentation,
0:28:03 > 0:28:05the mixture is sent to the press.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Whoa-ho-ho!
0:28:08 > 0:28:10Wow, that is a vision.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12So...
0:28:12 > 0:28:14Oh, my goodness me!
0:28:14 > 0:28:15So, there it is.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18- It doesn't look...wonderful. - SHE CHUCKLES
0:28:18 > 0:28:19No, it doesn't, no.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21But it smells incredible.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25There's still one final process.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28So, here we go.
0:28:31 > 0:28:32Oh! It makes a great noise.
0:28:34 > 0:28:39140 layers are stacked up on top of each other.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41This labour-intensive technique
0:28:41 > 0:28:44ensures that the maximum quantity of sauce
0:28:44 > 0:28:46can be extracted from the mix.
0:28:46 > 0:28:47- Oh!- A bit more on the top.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51This is one of the most satisfying things I've ever done.
0:28:51 > 0:28:52There we go.
0:28:55 > 0:28:5780 tonnes of pressure
0:28:57 > 0:29:01forces the liquid out of the mixture.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05Then it's pasteurised and bottled.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07Or put into sachets.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12So, next time you tear open your sachet of soy sauce
0:29:12 > 0:29:17and you enjoy that 2000-year-old traditional recipe,
0:29:17 > 0:29:21spare a thought for the distance that it's travelled -
0:29:21 > 0:29:23all the way from the Welsh Valleys.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33Ten hours after my eggs were collected,
0:29:33 > 0:29:36everything I need to make my mayonnaise is in place.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42My ingredients have travelled from the intake area to the mixing room,
0:29:42 > 0:29:44known as the kitchen.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48I'm meeting Danielle.
0:29:48 > 0:29:52- Danielle?- Hey!- Gregg.- Hi, Danielle. Nice to meet you.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56You, apparently, are the mayonnaise expert.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58I hope I can prove you right.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02Now, look, I've seen the egg yolks, the oil and the mustard.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04How do you make mayonnaise here?
0:30:04 > 0:30:08Well, we add water, we add salt, we add a bit of sugar,
0:30:08 > 0:30:11we add a bit of mustard and some secret spices.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13- Secret spices?- Yeah.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16Every company has its secret, doesn't it?
0:30:16 > 0:30:19- Every company has its own secret spices.- Yeah, exactly.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22But at home, it's only egg,
0:30:22 > 0:30:25mustard and oil - no water.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27- A bit of water.- Never.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30- You use water at home? - Yeah, a little bit.- Oh, OK.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33- Yeah.- All right.- When we make mayonnaise, we always start with,
0:30:33 > 0:30:35what we call, a water phase.
0:30:35 > 0:30:40With the press of a button, 1,500 litres of water
0:30:40 > 0:30:44mixed with salt is pumped into a mixing tank,
0:30:44 > 0:30:47along with sugar and vinegar.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49What I will now do is add the spices.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52- Oh, it's here.- Yeah.- Let me smell, let me smell.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58- What do you think?- I think you've got more salt.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02I'm not going to spoil the secret.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05And something that smells a little bit citrus-y.
0:31:05 > 0:31:09Yeah, could be. So, do you want to do the honours and add it?
0:31:09 > 0:31:12- I'll do it.- Yeah? There you go. - Gradually? Doesn't matter, right?
0:31:12 > 0:31:13No!
0:31:13 > 0:31:17The secret spices give the mayonnaise the specific flavour
0:31:17 > 0:31:20profile that was so carefully developed by Manuel
0:31:20 > 0:31:22in the research lab.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25We have to add some mustard as well. For the spices.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27That's a big pot of mustard!
0:31:27 > 0:31:28It is. Are you ready?
0:31:34 > 0:31:36We'll confirm on the display that
0:31:36 > 0:31:39it's ready, that we added the mustard.
0:31:39 > 0:31:40Just push the button.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45And now look at the tank, it's cooling.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48Is that going to come over the top?
0:31:48 > 0:31:50This watery mixture is heated up.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56The next stage involves an ingredient - starch -
0:31:56 > 0:31:58that I never use at home when I'm making mayonnaise.
0:31:59 > 0:32:03Normally, when you make mayonnaise at home, you keep it for a day
0:32:03 > 0:32:05or two days, but because we make it industrial,
0:32:05 > 0:32:08we have to keep it at a nice viscosity for a longer time,
0:32:08 > 0:32:10and that is why we need some help from starches.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13- Without starch, with age, the mayonnaise would get thinner.- Yeah.
0:32:13 > 0:32:17It will get thinner, and it's strange when you open a mayonnaise
0:32:17 > 0:32:20- and it looks like yoghurt. - Yeah, I got you.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23Starch is added to a small amount of the rapeseed oil
0:32:23 > 0:32:25I helped unload earlier.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28- Can you handle it? - I was a greengrocer.
0:32:36 > 0:32:37- All done?- Yeah, all done.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40- How long will it take?- It will take about five minutes.
0:32:40 > 0:32:41Then we're going to mix.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44Finally! That's how we do it.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49Well, I'm well on the way to making my mayonnaise.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51But choosing a successful sauce
0:32:51 > 0:32:53isn't just about what you put into it,
0:32:53 > 0:32:56but how you market it, as Ruth discovers.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04Worcester sauce is a favourite addition to food,
0:33:04 > 0:33:07snacks and drinks the world over.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11It's a potent mix of fermented anchovies, onions,
0:33:11 > 0:33:14garlic and a blend of spices.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17The story goes that it was invented
0:33:17 > 0:33:19by two chemists developing a recipe
0:33:19 > 0:33:25that has come all the way from Bengal in 1837.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28Oh, thank you. Thanks.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30The first concoction was not to their liking,
0:33:30 > 0:33:34so they shoved it in the cellar and forgot about it.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36And then 18 months later,
0:33:37 > 0:33:38they got it out and tried it again.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42And somehow it had become delicious.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46And the chemists' names?
0:33:46 > 0:33:48John Lea and William Perrins.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52Today, the names Lea and Perrins
0:33:52 > 0:33:54are synonymous with Worcestershire sauce.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59The company factory is still based in Worcester,
0:33:59 > 0:34:02and, for over a century, the bottles have been marketed
0:34:02 > 0:34:05as the original Worcestershire sauce.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08But food historian Glyn Hughes...
0:34:08 > 0:34:09Well, hello, Ruth.
0:34:09 > 0:34:13..thinks the traditional long-standing story of its invention
0:34:13 > 0:34:15sounds a bit fishy.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18At Worcester Archives, he's unearthed a recipe
0:34:18 > 0:34:21for something that sounds very like Worcestershire sauce,
0:34:21 > 0:34:26in a cookery book published as early as 1723.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29Have a look at this. The recipe for lampreys,
0:34:29 > 0:34:32which were the famous fish caught at Worcester.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34- OK.- And the special sauce to go with lampreys,
0:34:34 > 0:34:36which is made mainly from vinegar
0:34:36 > 0:34:40and spices and anchovies.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44The same basic ingredients that go into Worcester sauce.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47Way back in 1720s.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52And Glyn has more evidence that questions our chemists' story
0:34:52 > 0:34:55of its invention in 1837.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58The first record we can find of ready-made Worcester sauce
0:34:58 > 0:35:00is from 1830.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03This is an advertisement in the Salopian Journal.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05And that's an interesting date, 1830.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08That's seven years before the supposed invention.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10Well, yeah.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14So, this idea that they had to discover the fermentation -
0:35:14 > 0:35:15people had been doing it for years.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17And there's already a product on the market.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19Who's the company involved here?
0:35:19 > 0:35:22So, we've got... Oh, yes, Twinberrow and Evans,
0:35:22 > 0:35:25chemists, Broad Street in Worcester.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29So, it can't be far off here.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35The exact address is listed in a trade directory from 1835
0:35:35 > 0:35:38as No 53 Broad St.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40So, this is it, then, 53.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45So, could this place claim to be the birthplace
0:35:45 > 0:35:47- of bottled Worcester sauce? - As far as we can tell, yes,
0:35:47 > 0:35:50Twinberrow and Evans are certainly the first company who ever
0:35:50 > 0:35:53advertised bottled Worcester sauce.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57Interestingly, the trade directory lists rival chemists John Lea
0:35:57 > 0:36:01and William Perrins as being just down the road
0:36:01 > 0:36:02at No 68 Broad St.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06They are very close to each other, aren't they? I mean...
0:36:06 > 0:36:09- Only just down there... - It's hard to think that they
0:36:09 > 0:36:13- wouldn't have known about each other's projects. - Impossible, wasn't it?
0:36:13 > 0:36:18Mid-19th century chemists didn't just dispense medicines -
0:36:18 > 0:36:21they also made and sold all kinds of other products,
0:36:21 > 0:36:24from soap to condiments.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28And I suppose we have no idea what exact recipe
0:36:28 > 0:36:31Twinberrow and Evans were actually making.
0:36:31 > 0:36:35I suppose we can be confident that every chemist had their own recipe
0:36:35 > 0:36:36for everything they made.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39So, whether there was much similarity, or whether they
0:36:39 > 0:36:42were completely different
0:36:42 > 0:36:44between No 53 and No 68,
0:36:44 > 0:36:46we just don't know.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50Ultimately, the battle of the Worcester sauces would be won by
0:36:50 > 0:36:53the chemists at No 68.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56They turned it into an international brand.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58They were geniuses at marketing.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01They had bottles of Lea and Perrins put on the tables on cruise ships.
0:37:01 > 0:37:02That's clever!
0:37:02 > 0:37:06In, I think, 1842, they went from something like, in one year,
0:37:06 > 0:37:08600-odd bottles to 14,000,
0:37:08 > 0:37:11- in a period of 12 months.- Wow.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14The old story of its origins may be something of a fiction,
0:37:14 > 0:37:18but the power of marketing has made this the world's bestselling
0:37:18 > 0:37:19Worcestershire sauce brand.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25Twinberrow and Evans had neither the ambition,
0:37:25 > 0:37:28nor were they as canny as Mr Lea and Mr Perrins,
0:37:28 > 0:37:30so the lesson here is clear,
0:37:30 > 0:37:35if you want your sauce to become the stuff of legends,
0:37:36 > 0:37:37then you need to think big.
0:37:45 > 0:37:50Over 340 miles from Worcester, I'm in the mayonnaise kitchen.
0:37:50 > 0:37:54I've prepared my water mix and my starch mix,
0:37:54 > 0:37:58and ten hours and 15 minutes since my eggs were collected,
0:37:58 > 0:38:00their big moment has finally arrived.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03- This is the egg.- This is my eggs.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05- Do you recognise it?- Absolutely.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08Are we ready now to add some ingredients to the eggs?
0:38:08 > 0:38:11Yeah, we are. We are really ready to make the mayonnaise now.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14And this is where we're going to mix it.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18So, Gregg, in this tank, we started our process.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21We add some water mix, some starches
0:38:21 > 0:38:23and then start adding the oil.
0:38:23 > 0:38:24It all happens in here.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27We have a little window if you want to have a look.
0:38:28 > 0:38:29That is really cool.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33- It is, isn't it?- You've got a little porthole with a light.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35Exactly, you can actually follow the process.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40This jumbo mixer will make enough mayonnaise
0:38:40 > 0:38:43for 735 jars.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45And with two yolks in each jar,
0:38:45 > 0:38:49I'm looking at nearly 1,500 of them whizzing around in here.
0:38:51 > 0:38:52It's quite wet.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56It doesn't look much like mayonnaise yet.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59I have a small experiment for you.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01Is it safe?
0:39:01 > 0:39:04Danielle's got a simple way it to replicate the process
0:39:04 > 0:39:06going on inside the mixer.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10So, here I have the ingredients for you.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12Let's see if we can make a mayonnaise out of it.
0:39:12 > 0:39:13By hand.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16Well, at home, I would start with the eggs.
0:39:19 > 0:39:20Are you going to pour?
0:39:20 > 0:39:24To my egg yolk, I had the water mix containing the salt,
0:39:24 > 0:39:26mustard and spices.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29I'm guessing now I add some starch?
0:39:29 > 0:39:30Good guess.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32In goes my starch mix.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34Just pour it in and keep on mixing.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38Now we have to add the oil bit by bit.
0:39:38 > 0:39:39Yeah. We have to do it slowly.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43Oil and water can only be combined
0:39:43 > 0:39:47using a process called emulsification.
0:39:47 > 0:39:52As the oil is added, whisking breaks it into tiny droplets.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55This distributes it evenly through the mix.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57The egg yolk stops it from separating
0:39:57 > 0:39:59and thickens the mayonnaise.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02Do you want to try a different method?
0:40:03 > 0:40:06- Look over there.- You're kidding me. - Yeah.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15The final ingredient is vinegar,
0:40:15 > 0:40:18added to bring out the acidity in the flavour.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20- It's getting there.- Yeah.
0:40:20 > 0:40:21It's quite tricky.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25If I stop whisking, or add to much oil at once,
0:40:25 > 0:40:29the emulsification won't work and the sauce will split,
0:40:29 > 0:40:32creating an unpleasant, lumpy texture.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37Can I see how the proper big batch is getting on?
0:40:37 > 0:40:39Yeah, let's see how we do it here.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45This clever mixer performs the emulsification process
0:40:45 > 0:40:47perfectly, every time.
0:40:47 > 0:40:53It's mixing this 480-kilo batch very effectively.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56It's thickening up in here quicker than we did it over there.
0:40:56 > 0:40:57With less work.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02Any emulsification in a kitchen is a delicate business,
0:41:02 > 0:41:04but this is doing it on a massive scale.
0:41:06 > 0:41:07You've got mayonnaise!
0:41:09 > 0:41:11All we need now is a big row of fish fingers
0:41:11 > 0:41:13and two loaves of bread.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19Less than ten and a half hours
0:41:19 > 0:41:21after my eggs were collected,
0:41:21 > 0:41:22I've got mayonnaise.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26Next, I need something to put it in.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30Cherry is sorting that out for me.
0:41:31 > 0:41:36The glass jar, so familiar, so widely used,
0:41:36 > 0:41:38we barely give it a second glance.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40But how was it made?
0:41:42 > 0:41:46The jars for Gregg's mayonnaise begin at this factory in Maastricht
0:41:46 > 0:41:48in the Netherlands.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52I'm meeting factory manager Ralph Klaassens...
0:41:52 > 0:41:53- Hi, Cherry.- Nice to meet you.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56..who's showing me the glass-making process.
0:41:58 > 0:42:02The only thing I know about glass is it starts with sand.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06Yes, and we use about 2,100 tonnes of sand per week.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10The sand comes from a nearby quarry,
0:42:10 > 0:42:12and has a low iron content...
0:42:12 > 0:42:14Wow, there it goes.
0:42:14 > 0:42:19..to ensure the finished glass will be totally colourless.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23The jar's other main ingredient is glass itself.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28That is quite a huge pile of recycled glass.
0:42:28 > 0:42:32What is the percentage of recycled glass to sand?
0:42:32 > 0:42:3656% recycled glass and 35% of sand.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40- So, it is a huge amount of recycled glass.- Yes.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44The final 9% is soda ash, made from salt.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48This lowers the melting point of the glass and sand,
0:42:48 > 0:42:53reducing the amount of energy needed for the production process.
0:42:53 > 0:42:58These ingredients are sent inside to the giant furnace.
0:43:00 > 0:43:01Oh, my God.
0:43:14 > 0:43:18In here, the raw materials are combined.
0:43:18 > 0:43:23After 24 hours at 1,400 Celsius,
0:43:23 > 0:43:25they melt together
0:43:25 > 0:43:28and turn into molten glass,
0:43:28 > 0:43:30250 tonnes of it.
0:43:52 > 0:43:57Next, the molten glass is squeezed out of the furnace,
0:43:57 > 0:44:02in gobs at a scorching 1,100 degrees.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04Each one weighs 300g.
0:44:15 > 0:44:19They drop down at nearly 20 miles an hour.
0:44:30 > 0:44:35It's one of the most mesmerising processes I've ever seen.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40The glass fills the mould.
0:44:40 > 0:44:42They flip over,
0:44:42 > 0:44:45through 180 degrees,
0:44:45 > 0:44:49then air is forced in at high pressure,
0:44:49 > 0:44:53producing a jar in under six seconds.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58The bottom is still burning bright orange.
0:44:58 > 0:44:59- Exactly.- Does it then get cooled?
0:44:59 > 0:45:02Yes, we have cooling under the conveyor belt
0:45:02 > 0:45:03so the bottom is cooled.
0:45:03 > 0:45:06It's like something out of a science fiction film.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14How many jars do you make?
0:45:14 > 0:45:17We are producing about 260,000 jars a day.
0:45:17 > 0:45:19Does this jar get used only for mayonnaise
0:45:19 > 0:45:23- or is it lots of different things? - No, it's only for mayonnaise.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26To me, they look shiny and unblemished,
0:45:26 > 0:45:28but they're not finished yet.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38A protective coating is applied.
0:45:52 > 0:45:56It's extraordinary to think that something so pure,
0:45:56 > 0:45:58clear and fragile
0:45:58 > 0:46:01is a result of such a huge industrial process.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05Gregg, I hope you appreciate this jar.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17In the factory's filling area,
0:46:17 > 0:46:20the jars have arrived and are ready for action.
0:46:20 > 0:46:24Hans Hendriksen is the man in charge of this whole site.
0:46:25 > 0:46:29OK! Well, my friend Cherry had a hand in doing these.
0:46:29 > 0:46:30I heard so, yes.
0:46:30 > 0:46:33In a world of plastic squeezy,
0:46:33 > 0:46:35why are you sticking with glass?
0:46:35 > 0:46:39Actually, the glass is really our premium package.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44Consumers like the traditional look and feel of glass,
0:46:44 > 0:46:47which is why 45% of the mayonnaise
0:46:47 > 0:46:49produced in the factory
0:46:49 > 0:46:51ends up in jars.
0:46:53 > 0:46:57But, like the eggs I started with, they need careful handling.
0:47:00 > 0:47:02And this machine is pushing all of them off?
0:47:02 > 0:47:05Pushing on the whole layer in one.
0:47:07 > 0:47:09If you look at it now, you can see right now
0:47:09 > 0:47:12the whole layer is being pushed on.
0:47:13 > 0:47:17I'm amazed you haven't got jars smashing.
0:47:17 > 0:47:19I can tell you that it is very intricate.
0:47:19 > 0:47:23The pressure that you need to push it off gently,
0:47:23 > 0:47:25it's a trick.
0:47:25 > 0:47:28There are soapsuds on this conveyor belt.
0:47:28 > 0:47:31- What is the soapsuds? - So, it's like lubricant.
0:47:31 > 0:47:32It's as simple as that.
0:47:32 > 0:47:36- We're turning all of this metal into an ice rink for glass.- There you go.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42- Right, come on, let's put some mayonnaise in them!- Let's do it!
0:47:44 > 0:47:47Before they're filled, the jars are cleaned with a jet of air...
0:47:50 > 0:47:52..before gliding onto the filling machine.
0:47:54 > 0:47:58Which loads 250 of them with mayo every minute.
0:48:03 > 0:48:05At last, mayonnaise in a jar!
0:48:05 > 0:48:06That's what it is.
0:48:09 > 0:48:14Each jar is filled with precisely 680g
0:48:14 > 0:48:17of freshly prepared mayonnaise.
0:48:17 > 0:48:20So, it's filling the jar very gently.
0:48:20 > 0:48:24It's critical because we want to keep the product nice and smooth.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27There's something quite beautiful about that.
0:48:29 > 0:48:32- So, now we're ready to put the caps on?- Correct.- All right.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36And that's actually what's happening inside this machine.
0:48:38 > 0:48:41You cannot look in here, but the principle is as follows.
0:48:41 > 0:48:43A jar comes in like this,
0:48:43 > 0:48:44the cap is waiting,
0:48:44 > 0:48:46and it sort of grabs the cap
0:48:46 > 0:48:48and it's pulling it close.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51Just before the cap is actually totally put on,
0:48:51 > 0:48:54we put a little puff of hot steam in there.
0:48:54 > 0:48:58When the hot steam cools, it sucks in the button of the lid,
0:48:58 > 0:49:01creating a firm airtight seal.
0:49:01 > 0:49:05And that is why, when I open the jar, I get that... HE MAKES POPPING SOUND
0:49:05 > 0:49:07There you go.
0:49:07 > 0:49:08The labels go on...
0:49:10 > 0:49:12..before one final check.
0:49:12 > 0:49:15A sensor scans the button on each cap.
0:49:15 > 0:49:20Most jars pass the test, but those with faulty caps
0:49:20 > 0:49:21get rejected.
0:49:25 > 0:49:29So, if it's firm and doesn't move, the seal is perfect?
0:49:29 > 0:49:32- Correct.- If it's got a bit of a bounce, it rejects it.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35- That's it. We've got another one. - Is that another bad one?
0:49:35 > 0:49:37- There you go.- Good job.
0:49:39 > 0:49:42So, that's the mayo - all bottled
0:49:42 > 0:49:45and ready to pop onto your burger,
0:49:45 > 0:49:47or anything else you fancy.
0:49:47 > 0:49:50But there are some sauces we only eat with certain foods.
0:49:50 > 0:49:54Cherry went to check out the science behind those perfect pairings.
0:49:57 > 0:49:59Hey, welcome to the Carvery.
0:49:59 > 0:50:01Amazing.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05What are you going to go for today?
0:50:05 > 0:50:08I'm going to go for a bit of all three, please.
0:50:08 > 0:50:09What's your favourite meat?
0:50:09 > 0:50:13- Probably ham.- Ham. And what's the sauce that you'd put with it?
0:50:13 > 0:50:14Mustard.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18Lamb with mint sauce is, like, my favourite.
0:50:18 > 0:50:20- Is that the one?- That is the one.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24It seems that we're pretty set in our ways
0:50:24 > 0:50:27when it comes to pairing meat with sauces.
0:50:27 > 0:50:31Lamb and mint, ham and mustard.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33Pork and apple.
0:50:33 > 0:50:34But why?
0:50:36 > 0:50:39To find out, I've enlisted the help of Professor Barry Smith
0:50:39 > 0:50:42from the University of London.
0:50:42 > 0:50:46He's an expert in sensory perceptions and food.
0:50:46 > 0:50:50So, Barry, why do we pair certain meats with certain sauces?
0:50:50 > 0:50:52Well, there are three reasons, Cherry.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55Historical, cultural and scientific.
0:50:55 > 0:50:57I'm going to test you on this.
0:50:57 > 0:51:01Barry, underneath cloche number one, we have...
0:51:02 > 0:51:05..lamb and mint sauce.
0:51:05 > 0:51:06Classic combination.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09There are historical reasons for this - it used to be the case that
0:51:09 > 0:51:11people would keep their lambs a little bit long.
0:51:11 > 0:51:15The fatty acids breakdown and give off rather bad odours,
0:51:15 > 0:51:16kind of high note,
0:51:16 > 0:51:20and that stinging high note could be covered up by mint.
0:51:20 > 0:51:22That's really disgusting and very informative.
0:51:22 > 0:51:23- Thank you, Barry.- Pleasure.
0:51:25 > 0:51:26Cloche number two.
0:51:28 > 0:51:30Beef and horseradish.
0:51:30 > 0:51:32Ooh, good combination.
0:51:32 > 0:51:34We like that tanginess of horseradish,
0:51:34 > 0:51:38spicy hotness with the strong flavour and the tang of the beef.
0:51:38 > 0:51:42So, culturally, they have become the regular partners,
0:51:42 > 0:51:44and we like putting them together,
0:51:44 > 0:51:47and we think it's as natural as ice cream and apple pie.
0:51:47 > 0:51:49Barry, so far, so good.
0:51:51 > 0:51:53Under cloche number three, we have...
0:51:54 > 0:51:56Not my favourite meat.
0:51:56 > 0:51:58Turkey and cranberry.
0:51:58 > 0:52:01Bland and dry. So, what do we do to deal with that?
0:52:01 > 0:52:05Well, by having a cranberry sauce, we've got these very sour berries,
0:52:05 > 0:52:06and what they'll do is,
0:52:06 > 0:52:09they'll stimulate saliva flow, so you'll get
0:52:09 > 0:52:12this rush of moisture and saliva into the mouth that will help you
0:52:12 > 0:52:15masticate this otherwise quite dry turkey.
0:52:17 > 0:52:18So, a little sauce summary.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21With lamb and mint, it's a historical hangover.
0:52:21 > 0:52:23With beef and horseradish,
0:52:23 > 0:52:26it's cultural, and with turkey and cranberry,
0:52:26 > 0:52:30it's scientific, it's to get that saliva production flowing.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33So, there's always a reason for the pairing?
0:52:33 > 0:52:34Always a reason.
0:52:34 > 0:52:37You're either contrasting or masking
0:52:37 > 0:52:39or augmenting the flavours.
0:52:39 > 0:52:44But there's one meat that doesn't have a regular partner.
0:52:44 > 0:52:45Chicken.
0:52:45 > 0:52:47So, with all your expertise, Barry,
0:52:47 > 0:52:49I'd like you to see whether you can find
0:52:49 > 0:52:51the perfect sauce for chicken.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53Are you able to do that?
0:52:53 > 0:52:54I'm game.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00Barry has chosen a creamy lemon sauce
0:53:00 > 0:53:04that science suggests will be the perfect accompaniment for chicken.
0:53:04 > 0:53:05Yeah, that's beautiful.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08The light, citrus taste should complement
0:53:08 > 0:53:10the meat's delicate flavour,
0:53:10 > 0:53:14but will its subtle charms win out against two stronger,
0:53:14 > 0:53:16more robust sauces?
0:53:16 > 0:53:20We're putting it up against rich port gravy and mint sauce.
0:53:23 > 0:53:25Barry expects lemon to come out on top.
0:53:26 > 0:53:29But will our tasters agree?
0:53:31 > 0:53:34Which of those sauces do you think goes best with the chicken?
0:53:34 > 0:53:37- The mint.- The mint.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39Mint sauce goes with everything, so it's fine.
0:53:39 > 0:53:42Barry's matchmaking skills may be in question.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45- I do think the mint one tastes better.- Quite like the mint.
0:53:45 > 0:53:49Yeah, it's also very nice. I think I like the middle one best, though.
0:53:50 > 0:53:52Probably the lemon-y one with much more lemon in it.
0:53:52 > 0:53:54Much more lemon? OK.
0:53:54 > 0:53:56It'd have to be the mint.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59Flying in the face of science,
0:53:59 > 0:54:02mint sauce is our clear winner.
0:54:02 > 0:54:05So, Barry, I set you the task of finding the perfect sauce
0:54:05 > 0:54:07to go with chicken. Could you do it?
0:54:07 > 0:54:10We couldn't, actually, and that may be for a number of reasons.
0:54:10 > 0:54:12Chicken's very versatile,
0:54:12 > 0:54:15it will tolerate a lot of different sauces.
0:54:15 > 0:54:17Despite Barry's best efforts,
0:54:17 > 0:54:22chicken is still searching for its perfect saucy sidekick.
0:54:30 > 0:54:34It's been less than 11 hours since my eggs were collected.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38And now my mayonnaise is heading for distribution.
0:54:40 > 0:54:44My jars have been placed into cases and loaded onto pallets.
0:54:44 > 0:54:49They are transported around this huge site by 300 metres of
0:54:49 > 0:54:54computer-controlled conveyors, which move more than 1 million bottles
0:54:54 > 0:54:57and jars every day.
0:54:57 > 0:54:59- Dan!- Hey, how are you?
0:54:59 > 0:55:01- I saw you at the start of the mayonnaise...- Yes.
0:55:01 > 0:55:04- ..and here you are at the end. - Still here, yeah.- What is this?!
0:55:04 > 0:55:07This is actually the start of our outbound process.
0:55:07 > 0:55:11Here, we make sure that pallets are prepared fit for transport.
0:55:11 > 0:55:14And that machine seems to be picking out that...
0:55:14 > 0:55:17- What do you call it? Plastic... - Plastic film, yeah.
0:55:17 > 0:55:20It picks out the plastic film in one sheet,
0:55:20 > 0:55:25- opens it up and puts it over like a pillow case.- Yeah.
0:55:25 > 0:55:29The machine shrink wraps the plastic sheet tightly around the pallet.
0:55:29 > 0:55:33This holds the delicate jars firmly in place.
0:55:33 > 0:55:36Why has that sheet there got little holes in it?
0:55:36 > 0:55:39That's to make sure that the warmth and the air can still evaporate
0:55:39 > 0:55:41out after the pallet has been wrapped.
0:55:41 > 0:55:43When they come here for distribution, they're still warm?
0:55:43 > 0:55:47- Yeah.- That's got to be the fastest production and distribution I've ever seen.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50It's literally one hour after production and, half an hour
0:55:50 > 0:55:52from here, we ship it out already.
0:55:53 > 0:55:57My mayonnaise has been mixed and packed.
0:55:57 > 0:55:59Now it heads to the fully automated
0:55:59 > 0:56:022,000 square metre warehouse.
0:56:05 > 0:56:08Wow. How many pallets in here? Do you know?
0:56:08 > 0:56:11Yeah, it can range up to 2,500 pallets.
0:56:11 > 0:56:13That's only at 1.5 days.
0:56:13 > 0:56:17- 2,500 pallets is only enough for 1.5 days?- Max.
0:56:17 > 0:56:21- So, this machine is constantly moving pallets of sauces in and out? - Yeah.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23- There it goes again.- Yeah.
0:56:24 > 0:56:26Is that my mayonnaise ready to go?
0:56:27 > 0:56:30That's your mayonnaise. We've produced that specific pallet today,
0:56:30 > 0:56:32and we're also shipping it out today.
0:56:32 > 0:56:34Well, we better get on with it, hadn't we?
0:56:34 > 0:56:38Just over 11 hours since my eggs were collected,
0:56:38 > 0:56:42they're now making their way out of the factory as jars of sauce.
0:56:44 > 0:56:45That's my batch.
0:56:46 > 0:56:47Careful. Careful.
0:56:50 > 0:56:52You know what? A chap knows his mayonnaise.
0:56:53 > 0:56:58Every day, 150 trucks ship mayonnaise out of here.
0:56:58 > 0:57:03With us Brits taking the crown for the keenest consumers.
0:57:03 > 0:57:05People in the south-east get through the most,
0:57:05 > 0:57:09but it also heads off to 39 different countries
0:57:09 > 0:57:12around the world, from Malaysia to Panama.
0:57:21 > 0:57:23I've enjoyed my trip here to the Netherlands.
0:57:23 > 0:57:25I was blown away by the egg cracking machine.
0:57:25 > 0:57:27I mean, that was incredible.
0:57:27 > 0:57:31I was surprised they don't make mayonnaise the way that I make it
0:57:31 > 0:57:35at home, and I was amazed by the fact that over half of everything
0:57:35 > 0:57:38they produce in this factory is for us in the UK.
0:57:38 > 0:57:39Take her away!
0:57:49 > 0:57:51Next time, we're in Gloucestershire,
0:57:51 > 0:57:54inside one of the largest soft drinks factories in Europe...
0:57:54 > 0:57:56It's wonderful.
0:57:56 > 0:57:58Technology that I've never seen before,
0:57:58 > 0:58:00around a drink that I've known for years!
0:58:00 > 0:58:02..where 3 million bottles of blackcurrant drinks
0:58:02 > 0:58:05pour off the production line every week.
0:58:05 > 0:58:06Oh, mate!
0:58:06 > 0:58:09Do you go home smelling like a blackcurrant?
0:58:09 > 0:58:14And Cherry discovers how drinks bottles start life as other bottles.
0:58:14 > 0:58:15Oh!
0:58:15 > 0:58:17I thought it was water.