0:00:02 > 0:00:04As a nation, we love a soft drink.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07Every day, we guzzle over 36 million litres of them.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Tonight we're taking you on to the production line for one of our
0:00:12 > 0:00:14best-loved soft drinks.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18It's wonderful, technology that I've never seen before around a drink
0:00:18 > 0:00:20that I've known for years.
0:00:20 > 0:00:26We'll follow the journey that 90% of all Britain's blackcurrants take, from farm...
0:00:26 > 0:00:30..to bottle, via this ENORMOUS factory!
0:00:34 > 0:00:36I'm Gregg Wallace.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38That's an incredible sight.
0:00:38 > 0:00:43And I'll find out how much flavour a tiny blackcurrant can pack.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45There is that many berries in each bottle.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48I'm Cherry Healy.
0:00:48 > 0:00:49Oh!
0:00:50 > 0:00:51And I'll be discovering...
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Hey!
0:00:53 > 0:00:56..how the plastic in your drinks bottle starts life...
0:00:56 > 0:00:58..as another bottle.
0:00:58 > 0:00:59This is what you are after.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02- Yeah.- Perfect pellets of plastic.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06And I hit the streets to find out why we love fizzy pop.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10So it does seem that the carbonation masks some of the sweetness.
0:01:12 > 0:01:13Historian Ruth Goodman...
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Is this the stuff?
0:01:15 > 0:01:19..reveals Britain's pioneering role in the production of our favourite drinks.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21Kaola.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23Sounds sort of familiar!
0:01:25 > 0:01:29In the next week, this factory will produce 3 million bottles of this
0:01:29 > 0:01:34- blackcurrant drink.- And this is the incredible story of how the team
0:01:34 > 0:01:35here makes it happen.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38Welcome to Inside The Factory.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00This is the Ribena factory in Gloucestershire.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03It works around the clock with over 400 staff
0:02:03 > 0:02:06to make 25 different soft drinks.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12Owned by Suntory, they produce Lucozade Sports...
0:02:12 > 0:02:15..and five flavours of Ribena.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21But tonight, we're focusing on their ready-to-drink blackcurrant version.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24To make this, you need an awful lot of berries.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26Cherry has been helping out with the harvest.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35This 543 acre fruit farm in Kent is
0:02:35 > 0:02:37one of 40 across the country that
0:02:37 > 0:02:39supply our factory.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43It's run by Josh Berry, who's collecting this year's crop.
0:02:43 > 0:02:44Hi, Josh!
0:02:44 > 0:02:48- Hi, Cherry. How you doing? - Or should I say, Farmer Berry?
0:02:48 > 0:02:49You can say that if you like.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53Which is a great name for somebody who grows berries.
0:02:53 > 0:02:54What is that?
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Is it a transformer?
0:02:56 > 0:02:59It looks like a transformer, but it's a blackcurrant harvester.
0:02:59 > 0:03:00How does it work?
0:03:00 > 0:03:03It pulls the bush through, and as it pulls it through, it just shakes...
0:03:03 > 0:03:05..the fruit off. Like that.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07- That's it?- That's it.
0:03:07 > 0:03:08Simple as that.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11So a quick shake is all that's needed to drop these
0:03:11 > 0:03:15perfectly ripe berries straight into the mouth of the harvester.
0:03:15 > 0:03:20Is there anything special about these berries that make them suitable for our drink?
0:03:20 > 0:03:23We want blackcurrant varieties that have good flavour profiles
0:03:23 > 0:03:27and that yield well, and that also produce a lot of juice.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30So they've got to taste good and be massively juicy?
0:03:30 > 0:03:31That's it.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33This variety is called Benstarav
0:03:33 > 0:03:37and was specially bred to produce berries for our factory.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41- Let's have a taste. Look at how beautiful and juicy that is.- Yep.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47That is so packed full of flavour.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49It's delicious.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53The berries are harvested in July and August.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57How long does it take to harvest a field like this?
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Well, this field here is about six hectares.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02It usually takes us about a day and a half to do this block.
0:04:05 > 0:04:06Once inside the harvester,
0:04:06 > 0:04:09the berries fall onto rotating plates
0:04:09 > 0:04:12which drop them onto a conveyor belt.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17This carries them towards fans which blow off any leaves that have been
0:04:17 > 0:04:19accidentally picked...
0:04:19 > 0:04:22..and then drops the fruit into bins on either side of the machine.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Oh, wow, look!
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Whee-he-he!
0:04:30 > 0:04:33- There are some BIG boys here.- Yeah!
0:04:33 > 0:04:35We're giving them a final check.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38So what kind of things are we looking for?
0:04:38 > 0:04:40We're basically just picking out any leaf,
0:04:40 > 0:04:42any bits of wood that come through like that.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44- Yeah.- That's about it, really.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Ah, a snail!
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Oh, my God, they keep going into my welly boot.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55The harvester travels at a sedate 4mph,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57gradually filling bin after bin.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03How many blackcurrants would fit into this?
0:05:03 > 0:05:05- It's about half a tonne.- Half a tonne?- Yeah.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08And how many of these would you produce, say, a day?
0:05:08 > 0:05:12We can pick about... Well, on a good day, if we've got a good crop in front of us,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15we can pick about 52 bins a day.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19That weighs about the same as four elephants.
0:05:19 > 0:05:24From here the bins are collected and stacked, ready for loading.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27So here we are, fresh from the field.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30A great big bin of berries.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32Doesn't get any fresher.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34So what happens now? Do you process them, do you store them?
0:05:34 > 0:05:36As soon as we can, on the lorry.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38What's all the rush?
0:05:38 > 0:05:41They're fresh, they want to stay fresh and they want to be processed fresh.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43Do they degrade quite quickly?
0:05:43 > 0:05:46The sugar levels can change if they're sitting around.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50So you have to get these to the factory on time?
0:05:50 > 0:05:52Yes.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56The clock is ticking as Josh's team load up today's crop.
0:05:58 > 0:05:59From the blackcurrant farm, our
0:05:59 > 0:06:03berries travel 200 miles to be processed...
0:06:06 > 0:06:08..at a surprising location.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11I'm at the Thatcher's cider mill in Somerset.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Why? Well,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16because between September and December every year, they are busy
0:06:16 > 0:06:19pressing apples for cider, which means
0:06:19 > 0:06:24their machinery is available in July to press blackcurrants.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31The team here will process over 500 tonnes of them today.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37Manager Mark Beresford is giving the latest delivery a once over.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40- Mark!- Ooh, morning, Gregg.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42I won't shake your hand, if that's OK.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44- Well, maybe if I give you some gloves.- Yeah, OK.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46- What are you doing? A bit of quality check?- Yeah.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50Normally, by sight and smell, you can tell whether they're good to go.
0:06:50 > 0:06:51These ones are all looking good.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55Are you able to tell me how many berries there are in each bottle
0:06:55 > 0:06:56of juice drink?
0:06:56 > 0:06:59There's around about 37 berries per bottle of juice drink.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03One, two, three, four, five, six, seven...
0:07:03 > 0:07:06..32, 33, 34, 35, 36...
0:07:06 > 0:07:08..37.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11In my hand is the average amount of fruit
0:07:11 > 0:07:13in each bottle of juice drink?
0:07:13 > 0:07:14Absolutely.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20After a quick test, which confirms their sugar and flavour levels are
0:07:20 > 0:07:23up to scratch, they're ready to go.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27To get the best quality juice from our berries, they have to be pressed
0:07:27 > 0:07:29within 24 hours of harvest.
0:07:29 > 0:07:30Whoa!
0:07:32 > 0:07:35Our drink production line begins.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41That's an incredible sight.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43The smell is fantastic!
0:07:44 > 0:07:46How exactly is this working?
0:07:46 > 0:07:49So we've got the Archimedes screw there at the bottom...
0:07:49 > 0:07:54..which just works nice and slowly, turning and pushing the fruit along.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56And that takes it into the building.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58I see. The slow movement of that screw
0:07:58 > 0:08:00is just delivering small portions.
0:08:05 > 0:08:10The screw gently pushes the berries into the factory...
0:08:10 > 0:08:11..where they head to the roller mill.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16What we've got is two stainless steel rollers in there, which roll
0:08:16 > 0:08:17against each other.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20And we gently break the fruit open.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22So all we're looking to do is break the skins.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24We're not actually looking to extract any juices yet.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29Why can't you crush them now to get the juice out?
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Well, what we want to do is to get an enzyme in there
0:08:32 > 0:08:34to break the cell structure down.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38The cells inside the blackcurrants are held together with a natural
0:08:38 > 0:08:40gelling agent called pectin.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42It's what helps jam set.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46But we don't want our juice to set,
0:08:46 > 0:08:50so they pipe in the natural enzyme pectinase,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53which gets rid of all the pectin.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57It all happens in these 22-tonne mash tanks.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02It's almost tropical in there, it's just a load of steam.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04It's a little bit steamy.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06- It's not cooking it? - It's not cooking it.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10We've got to leave it for 60 minutes to allow the enzymes to work before
0:09:10 > 0:09:11we'll come back and test it...
0:09:12 > 0:09:14..and make sure we're good for pressing.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17That's all right, I'll think of something to do, I'm sure.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22The berries in this tank are all destined to be a still drink.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Meanwhile, Ruth's been looking into the history of fizzy drinks,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28which goes back further than you'd think.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38The fizzy drinks industry was born in 1783 when a Mr Schweppe
0:09:38 > 0:09:42sold his first carbonated mineral water.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46The gentry right across Europe adopted this with enthusiasm
0:09:46 > 0:09:51as a healthy alternative to the alcoholic beverages of the day.
0:09:53 > 0:09:58But it was something that happened right here in London's Hyde Park
0:09:58 > 0:10:01in 1851 that increased the profile of fizzy drinks.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04This was the sight of The Great Exhibition,
0:10:04 > 0:10:08Prince Albert's demonstration of Victorian inventions,
0:10:08 > 0:10:11all within a crystal palace.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15A place where all alcoholic beverages were banned.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Schweppes paid over £5,000 -
0:10:24 > 0:10:28the equivalent of more than 300,000 today -
0:10:28 > 0:10:32to be the official supplier of refreshments to the event.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36They commissioned a great soda fountain right in the atrium
0:10:36 > 0:10:41of The Crystal Palace - a fountain that's still commemorated
0:10:41 > 0:10:43on their bottles today.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Over the five and a half months of the exhibition,
0:10:45 > 0:10:49they shifted 1 million bottles of soda water and lemonade.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54This was posh pop.
0:10:57 > 0:10:58But in the mid-1800s,
0:10:58 > 0:11:02fizzy drinks exploded into the mass market too.
0:11:03 > 0:11:04Hello!
0:11:04 > 0:11:07This is a good sight to a thirsty woman!
0:11:07 > 0:11:08Absolutely.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14Malcolm McDermott is reminding me of a famous British name
0:11:14 > 0:11:17in the history of carbonation.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20This was how ginger beer would have been sold in the early days.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22Ginger beer. Oh, I do like a bit of ginger beer.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24There was hundreds of people out on the streets,
0:11:24 > 0:11:26literally selling it by the glass.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Was there ever actually a Mr R White?
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Yes, back in 1845 Robert and Mary actually founded the company
0:11:32 > 0:11:35in Camberwell and started selling lemonade and ginger beer
0:11:35 > 0:11:37on the street from a barrow just like this.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40So were they selling it in bottles right from the start?
0:11:40 > 0:11:44They would have been giving it out on the street in cups, because they needed the bottles back.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47Yeah. So you drank it there and then when you were stood there,
0:11:47 > 0:11:48you handed back the container.
0:11:48 > 0:11:49Exactly. Yeah.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55Street selling was just the start of the story.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58At the brand's modern-day factory in east London,
0:11:58 > 0:12:01records reveal what happened next.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05This is a price list from 1885.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07They made a range of products.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11You had things like ginger ale, lime juice, orange champagne,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14pear champagne, soda water, seltzer waters.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18- Exotic flavours.- It is, and I think that was the thing,
0:12:18 > 0:12:21when the masses got access to tasty soft drinks,
0:12:21 > 0:12:25their tastes widened and they wanted to try new things.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27This really caught my eye.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29- Kaola.- Yes.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32- So...- It sounds sort of familiar!
0:12:32 > 0:12:36Yes, Kaola was a drink flavoured with the kola nut.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38So, obviously, cola - the most popular drink today,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41Kaola was the precursor to that.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44But it would have been a lot more bitter than the drinks that we have now, today.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49These innovative new flavours drove rapid growth.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51In just a few short years,
0:12:51 > 0:12:56they went from one factory to six across the London area.
0:12:56 > 0:12:57Carbonation had gone from
0:12:57 > 0:13:01back room brewing to mechanised factory process.
0:13:03 > 0:13:08By 1890, R White's were selling almost 47 million bottles
0:13:08 > 0:13:10of soft drinks a year,
0:13:10 > 0:13:16delivered by 309 horses pulling 203 carts.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19So, at one point, they actually styled themselves
0:13:19 > 0:13:23- as the largest makers of soft drinks in the world.- In the world?- Yes.
0:13:23 > 0:13:24So, forget the Yanks,
0:13:24 > 0:13:27at this point in history, the fizzy drinks market was really
0:13:27 > 0:13:30a British market, and London was where it was at?
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Exactly, yes.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35That's not bad from the back of a barrow, is it?
0:13:35 > 0:13:37No, not at all.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43In a world where the fizzy drinks market
0:13:43 > 0:13:45is dominated by the mega brands,
0:13:45 > 0:13:49it is quite refreshing to remember a time when it was all still
0:13:49 > 0:13:51something of a novelty,
0:13:51 > 0:13:56when ordinary people made their our own batches of ginger beer
0:13:56 > 0:14:00and lemonade, and put their own names on the bottle.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13Three hours and ten minutes since
0:14:13 > 0:14:16I took delivery of my blackcurrants,
0:14:16 > 0:14:18their pectin has been removed
0:14:18 > 0:14:22and they're luxuriating in a nice hot bath.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25So what we'll do now is we'll take a sample of the mash.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28So, if you want to grab the ladle there behind you, Gregg.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31It's like some sort of crazy game you'd have in a pub.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34So then we just want to lower that down into the fruit.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38That's it, and then we pour that into this jug here.
0:14:40 > 0:14:41There we go, that's lovely.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43Everything about this process is messy!
0:14:43 > 0:14:44This isn't a clean job.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49Our sample of mashed berries is taken to an on-site lab to confirm
0:14:49 > 0:14:53all the pectin's gone. This means they'll be able to extract
0:14:53 > 0:14:57the maximum possible amount of juice.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59- ON RADIO:- Test's good, test's good.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01Lovely, thank you.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03All good. We're good to go pressing.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08Cleared for the next stage,
0:15:08 > 0:15:12our mix heads off to one of four juice presses.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15So, then, Gregg. This is one of our presses.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Maybe not quite what you were expecting.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22See, a press, to me, is pressing down on the fruit,
0:15:22 > 0:15:26whether you're screwing that in or pressing it down, but using weight.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29And you squeeze the juice through a cloth or through a fine sieve.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33But that's not even using gravity, that's not even the right way up.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36The principles of what we're doing are exactly as you've just explained.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38But what are these hosepipes?
0:15:38 > 0:15:42So these hosepipes, as you describe them, are the filters.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46So what we have is, as this piston crushes in,
0:15:46 > 0:15:51the juice is forced from the fruit and they go through this sock.
0:15:51 > 0:15:56So this is the cloth that you mentioned in your traditional press.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58So what's this big piece of plastic here, then?
0:15:58 > 0:16:02So this sits in the centre of the filter sock, and as the juice is
0:16:02 > 0:16:07pushed through the sock it will run down the gullies in this core.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09OK, so we're ready to go now, Gregg.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14We'll close him back up, and if you want to press play on here,
0:16:14 > 0:16:15that'll be our press in action.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19There we go.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25The press fills with our mashed berries and the juice is forced
0:16:25 > 0:16:29through the 288 filter socks.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33It's channelled away through a pipe at the front into storage tanks
0:16:33 > 0:16:36leaving just the unwanted parts of the fruit behind.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42There we go, Gregg. So, almost all what you can see there is lots of the seeds,
0:16:42 > 0:16:45which haven't been pressed through.
0:16:45 > 0:16:46You're right. And the odd little twiglet.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48And the odd little twiglet.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51So all the juice is gone, all the solids are left behind.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56The juice is filtered and pasteurised
0:16:56 > 0:16:58before it heads to an evaporator...
0:17:00 > 0:17:04..which boils off 80% of its volume.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07This makes it easier to store and transport,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10but it also throws up an issue.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Part of the problem we have is that the aromas boil off
0:17:13 > 0:17:16at a rather low temperature. As you may well know,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19most of what we taste is in the smell.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22So we'll capture the vapour that's drawn off.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26This is very much like making a quality stock in a kitchen.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29The only difference is, all that lovely smell that's coming off of
0:17:29 > 0:17:32the stock in my kitchen, you're capturing it.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35That's right. And we'll then condense that back down into a liquid
0:17:35 > 0:17:39which gives you all the aromas captured in that liquid.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42That will then be tankered separately to the factory
0:17:42 > 0:17:45and then added back to the fruit juice concentrate.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48You're trapping the smell of blackcurrant.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52- We are.- And then they're putting it back in later?
0:17:52 > 0:17:54That's right.
0:17:54 > 0:17:59Mark and his team pump the entire season's aroma liquid
0:17:59 > 0:18:02into just three tanks.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06So, Gregg, those aromas, which you can have a little smell of here...
0:18:06 > 0:18:07Get your hands in there.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15- Get a little bit on.- That is most certainly blackcurrant,
0:18:15 > 0:18:19but it's more than just blackcurrant, it's seriously floral.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22That's what gives you the flavours again, back into the blackcurrant.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Wonderful. Wonderful.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28A big tank of blackcurrant juice smell.
0:18:28 > 0:18:29That's it.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34That's our aroma safely captured.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40Meanwhile, the juice concentrate heads to a waiting tanker.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42The guys have loaded one on, we can see it from the counter,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45and all we need to do now is get the pipe off.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48During the blackcurrant season,
0:18:48 > 0:18:52up to four tankers a day leave for the main factory.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55- Whoa!- There we go.
0:18:55 > 0:18:56It's like oil!
0:18:58 > 0:19:00If you want to hand that to driver Andy.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02- All right, Andy?- Thank you!
0:19:02 > 0:19:04And that's us all done, ready to go.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07How many bottles of drink is that, do you know?
0:19:07 > 0:19:11That's going to make about 200,000 bottles of your juice drink.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14- Fantastic.- If you want to signal Andy, send him on his way.
0:19:14 > 0:19:15Andy? Cheers, mate.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29So that's my concentrate on its way to become a still juice drink.
0:19:29 > 0:19:35BUT more than a third of the soft drinks we consume in Britain are fizzy.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38Cherry went to investigate why we like bubbles so much.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48According to the latest figures,
0:19:48 > 0:19:52we're guzzling 5 billion litres of fizzy drinks every year.
0:19:52 > 0:19:57So can science explain why we love them so much?
0:20:00 > 0:20:02I've come to the University of London to meet
0:20:02 > 0:20:05sensory expert, Professor Barry Smith.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08- Lovely to see you again. - Hey! How are you? Good to see you.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11He's been studying the effect that carbonated drinks
0:20:11 > 0:20:13have on our senses.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16What makes fizzy drinks fizzy?
0:20:16 > 0:20:19These are liquids that have had CO2, carbon dioxide,
0:20:19 > 0:20:20put into them under pressure.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23And the liquid has absorbed all that CO2,
0:20:23 > 0:20:27only released when we take the top off and we expose it to air,
0:20:27 > 0:20:29and the little bubbles'll come out.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31We first of all have that sound.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35You get that lovely scoosh, the rush.
0:20:35 > 0:20:40We see the bubbles foaming to this wonderful creamy head.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42You put it to your ear, you can actually hear them.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45So it's sonic, it's visual.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48It's an incredibly multisensory drink.
0:20:48 > 0:20:49- Cheers.- Cheers!
0:20:52 > 0:20:56So bubbles do much more than just look appealing.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58To test out how they affect smell,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02Barry's hooking me up to a rather sinister-looking machine.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07OMG. Why have I got two probes up my nose?
0:21:07 > 0:21:12Well, we're going to give you two slightly different odorants and see how you react.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15OK. So, Katie, let's start.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17Ah! Oh! Ooh.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19OK. Now, what are you getting?
0:21:20 > 0:21:22- Orange.- Hmm!
0:21:22 > 0:21:26- And a zing, like a tingly...tingly-ness.- Mmm.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30And now Katie's going to give you a little CO2 shot.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35Ooh!
0:21:37 > 0:21:39Ooh!
0:21:39 > 0:21:43- VOICEOVER:- Apparently I'm smelling the same level of orange aroma as before.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Oh! Ha-ha-ha!
0:21:45 > 0:21:48But when CO2 is released up the other probe,
0:21:48 > 0:21:51it's a far more intense experience.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53I need that in the morning.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56- Woohoo!- So, you got quite a rush!
0:21:56 > 0:22:01Definitely. And afterwards you feel a little bit stimulated and buzzy.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04So, the reason why that's happening is because the CO2,
0:22:04 > 0:22:08those little bubbles, are stimulating this trigeminal nerve.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10That's the nerve that serves the nose and the mouth.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13And when those little nerve endings in the nose are tingled,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16the body releases opiates and that
0:22:16 > 0:22:19can make you feel a nice, kind of, warm glow and buzz.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22And that intensifies the flavour.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28The simple addition of carbon dioxide has completely transformed
0:22:28 > 0:22:30my sensory experience,
0:22:30 > 0:22:34but this isn't the only trick bubbles are playing on us.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36They also affect taste -
0:22:36 > 0:22:40something Barry wants to demonstrate by challenging the students here on
0:22:40 > 0:22:42campus to a taste test.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51We're going to ask you questions about how you experience these two drinks.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54They're trying two cups of cherryade.
0:22:54 > 0:22:55Try both of these.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58They're identical, except that one is fizzy...
0:22:59 > 0:23:00..and one is still.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02Down in one, whoa!
0:23:02 > 0:23:04But which has the more intense flavour?
0:23:04 > 0:23:06It's much better - carbonated.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08- Is it is more intense?- Yes.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10- This one, fizzy.- So the fizzy one is more intense?
0:23:10 > 0:23:12- Yeah.- The bubble one would be more intense.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14- The fizzy one.- BARRY:- Fizzy one?
0:23:14 > 0:23:18The fizzy version of the drink is clearly delivering a stronger punch.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20The more fizzy one. Just the bubbles.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22When the bubbles pop on the tongue,
0:23:22 > 0:23:26they throw aroma molecules deep into the mouth and nose,
0:23:26 > 0:23:31giving carbonated drinks a stronger flavour and a more refreshing feel.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38Next, we want to find out how carbonation affects sweetness,
0:23:38 > 0:23:40this time, using cola.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44If you could taste these liquids and just tell me if you think one is
0:23:44 > 0:23:45sweeter than the other.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48One is the standard fizzy version.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50The other has been left to go flat.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52I'd say this is more syrupy and sickly.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54I think that is sweeter.
0:23:54 > 0:23:55You think the flat one is sweeter?
0:23:55 > 0:23:57I think it is just a little bit sweeter.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59Much sweeter in this one.
0:23:59 > 0:24:00- BARRY:- Much sweeter?- Yeah.
0:24:00 > 0:24:01I prefer the fizzy one.
0:24:01 > 0:24:06The consensus here is that the still cola tastes TOO sweet...
0:24:06 > 0:24:10- Syrupy, sugary, not for me.- Lovely!
0:24:10 > 0:24:13..even though both drinks have identical sugar levels.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16The bubbles try to mask the sweetness.
0:24:16 > 0:24:17She's right.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20The carbon dioxide bubbles in fizzy drinks effectively
0:24:20 > 0:24:24suppress sweetness and increase sourness.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28- I feel like the carbonated one is slightly more bitter...- Yes.- ..but that might just be the fizz.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35So it does seem that the carbonation masks some of the sweetness.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37It certainly does that.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41When they have something still, they say sugary or syrupy.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43And they think, "Too syrupy, I don't want to have that."
0:24:43 > 0:24:46But as soon as you make it fresh, you suppress sweetness,
0:24:46 > 0:24:51you enhance sourness, they say, "Ah! It's just right, that's the drink I want."
0:24:51 > 0:24:55Fizzy drinks play a series of sensory tricks on us,
0:24:55 > 0:24:59which probably helps to explain why we get through so many of them.
0:25:04 > 0:25:09My concentrated blackcurrant juice is making its way 50 miles north...
0:25:09 > 0:25:11..to the Forest of Dean.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Home to our drinks factory.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Eight and three quarters hours since I took delivery of our berries,
0:25:22 > 0:25:27their juice is being piped into tanks underneath the factory...
0:25:27 > 0:25:29..in an area called the cold store.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37Without the juice stored down here, they can't make our soft drink.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40These tanks are like the crown jewels of the factory.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Jonathan Bolton is responsible for taking care of them.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49- Jonathan, Gregg.- Hello. Nice to meet you, Gregg.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52How much concentrate could you hold here at any one time?
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Well, we have 80 tanks down here.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58And each tank can hold 19,000 litres, so...
0:25:58 > 0:26:03..80 times 19,000 litres is over 1.5 million litres of concentrate.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07And how long, typically, would you hold it for?
0:26:07 > 0:26:11Up to 12 months, so we have the whole year's harvest down here.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17So an entire year's supply of blackcurrant juice
0:26:17 > 0:26:20is sitting right here in these tanks,
0:26:20 > 0:26:23held between eight and 10 degrees Celsius.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28But before it heads upstairs,
0:26:28 > 0:26:30there's one crucial ingredient to add back in...
0:26:32 > 0:26:34..the liquid aromas that were captured earlier.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38So if you pick that spanner up there, Gregg.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41So what we need to do is disconnect this pipe here to add the aromas to
0:26:41 > 0:26:42the blackcurrant blend.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49This cold store was built in the 1940s
0:26:49 > 0:26:53and connecting up the tanks is still a hands-on job.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Mate, I feel like I'm tightening it up.
0:26:55 > 0:26:56Right, the other way then.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58Gregg Wallace, a complete spanner.
0:27:00 > 0:27:01Right, so if you just move that pipe.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05- Put it down on the...- Oh, mate!
0:27:05 > 0:27:08VOICEOVER: I've been landed with another messy task.
0:27:08 > 0:27:09Now what? Put this one in?
0:27:09 > 0:27:12- Yeah, put that one in. - I've got this.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17- Right...- All right? OK?
0:27:19 > 0:27:22I can't believe I've made such a mess!
0:27:22 > 0:27:24- Right. Now what?- So we need to open up the valves.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26- Gotcha.- Open up these two here.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30- There we go.- And then we need to open up the two valves on the aroma tank.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32GREGG GRUNTS
0:27:32 > 0:27:34- VOICEOVER: Pipes switched... - That's it!
0:27:34 > 0:27:37..the aroma liquids can now be sent over to the mixing tank.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41So all we need to do now is to press the start button.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44What with, me nose? I've got stuff everywhere! Right.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47MACHINE WHIRRS
0:27:47 > 0:27:49I can hear it, I can clearly hear it.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53You can hear it. That's taking the aromas through the flow plates,
0:27:53 > 0:27:56into the tank over there, where we're making our blend up.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58I've never had me aromas sent through a flow tank before.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Well there you are, right? There's always a first time.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04We're measuring out exactly 689 litres
0:28:04 > 0:28:07of natural liquid blackcurrant aromas.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09Do you go home smelling like a blackcurrant?
0:28:11 > 0:28:16The aromas head towards the mixing tank that already contains
0:28:16 > 0:28:1816,000 litres of concentrate,
0:28:18 > 0:28:23boosting and intensifying the blackcurrant taste and smell.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29We still have a long way to go to make the finished drink.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32And ensuring it tastes just the way we expect it to
0:28:32 > 0:28:36is the responsibility of a panel of rather important people.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38Cherry went to meet them.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45This anonymous office block just outside London
0:28:45 > 0:28:48is home to a top-secret tasting panel.
0:28:50 > 0:28:55The flavour of the company's soft drinks is quality controlled
0:28:55 > 0:28:58by specially selected super tasters.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01- Hi.- Hi, Shirley!- Hi.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04I had no idea that this was an actual job.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07A lot of people don't even know that this job exists.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10They don't understand that there's so much science behind it.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13They think that you just sit and... drinking soft drinks all day.
0:29:16 > 0:29:21Just one in four people have palates sensitive enough to join this elite group.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26How did you know you were a super taster?
0:29:26 > 0:29:29I didn't really know until I got screening for this job.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32I guess growing up in Italy played a big part in it,
0:29:32 > 0:29:35as from a young age I was exposed to loads of citrus fruit.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37You're a super citrus taster.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39I am, indeed.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41Happy tasting.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43For the last ten months, this 12-strong panel
0:29:43 > 0:29:48have been testing versions of a radical new recipe...
0:29:48 > 0:29:52..devised by in-house scientist Sam Borgfeld and his team.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55So, Sam, what have you been working on?
0:29:55 > 0:29:59We've been working on reducing the sugar content by 50%.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03Our consumers have told us they want less sugary products,
0:30:03 > 0:30:05so we feel it's important to reduce that sugar.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08That is probably harder than it sounds.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10It is considerably harder than it sounds.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16The original formulation contains around 12 teaspoons of sugar
0:30:16 > 0:30:19in a half-litre ready to drink bottle.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25Why not just take 50% of the sugar out and be done with that?
0:30:25 > 0:30:28Taking 50% sugar out of this product would make it taste
0:30:28 > 0:30:31quite acidic, quite weak and pretty unpleasant.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33You could even taste a 10% reduction,
0:30:33 > 0:30:36but when you take out half the sugar, you lose the sweetness,
0:30:36 > 0:30:39of course, you lose the flavour delivery because the sugar
0:30:39 > 0:30:41actually carries the flavour
0:30:41 > 0:30:44and brings the flavour to your taste receptors,
0:30:44 > 0:30:46and you lose the texture.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50So sugar actually makes the product thicker, so when you take out sugar,
0:30:50 > 0:30:52it becomes watery and unpleasant in the mouth.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55It's not a simple case of sugar out, sweeteners in.
0:30:55 > 0:30:57If it was, that would be really easy.
0:30:57 > 0:31:02Sam's team worked their way through over 100 different prototypes.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04Have you made any mistakes?
0:31:04 > 0:31:07Oh, some huge ones. Yeah. Some huge ones. For example,
0:31:07 > 0:31:09this is a commonly used thickener called xanthan gum.
0:31:09 > 0:31:14And this is ten times the amount that we should've used.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18Wow. I think you've made jam.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25But they've now created a recipe that they're happy with.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29And, crucially, one that has passed muster with the sensory panel.
0:31:30 > 0:31:35But can I work out which cup contains the new version?
0:31:35 > 0:31:40So, somewhere in here is the winning reduced sugar recipe?
0:31:40 > 0:31:44- That's right, Cherry.- And you'll be able to tell which one it is,
0:31:44 > 0:31:47I might not be able to.
0:31:47 > 0:31:52- So we're going to start firstly by tasting sample 839.- OK.
0:31:58 > 0:31:59Urgh!
0:32:01 > 0:32:04- It's extremely sour. - Too sour.- Extremely sour.
0:32:04 > 0:32:08What we're tasting there is the raw blackcurrant juice.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12Now, the next one we can taste, 294.
0:32:12 > 0:32:13It's like rubbish bingo, isn't it?
0:32:13 > 0:32:15LAUGHTER
0:32:16 > 0:32:18You just don't win a prize.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21- That's much sweeter.- Very sweet.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23You can taste the artificial sweetener in it.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25Do you think that's too much?
0:32:25 > 0:32:28- Yeah.- I'm really seeing the difference between a good taster
0:32:28 > 0:32:32and a super taster. Unless it's extreme, I'm just like,
0:32:32 > 0:32:33that tastes nice.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37Sample 992.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41- All rounded.- Well balanced.
0:32:41 > 0:32:42Just tastes really familiar.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45- Quite leafy, really.- Smooth.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49It's great that we like that one because that was the 50%
0:32:49 > 0:32:50reduced sugar recipe.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52- The one you decided on? - That's right.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55I wouldn't necessarily have known that that was your new formula.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57But I suppose that's what you want.
0:32:57 > 0:33:02- Yeah.- My question is, can your super tasters taste the difference between
0:33:02 > 0:33:06the original original formula and your new formula?
0:33:06 > 0:33:08- No.- They can't?!
0:33:08 > 0:33:10Right, so that's what you were aiming for.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15After nearly 1,000 tasting sessions,
0:33:15 > 0:33:19Sample 992 is now in the first stages of production.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31It's been 15 hours since I watched my berries being unloaded.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36At the factory, I'm ready to mix a batch of the new recipe.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39The first ingredient I need is sugar.
0:33:43 > 0:33:49Every day, ten tankers unload 27 tonnes of the stuff into silos.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53It's fed through to the sugar plant.
0:33:53 > 0:33:58But before it can be sent for mixing, it has to be turned into liquid.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01That's the responsibility of Craig Fletcher.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04So if you want to press on batch.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08- Batch.- OK. We want to make a 15,000 litre one.
0:34:09 > 0:34:13This is worse than trying to get your ticket out of the machine at the station.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17- Next batch on and that will start the process going.- OK.
0:34:18 > 0:34:19MACHINE STARTS
0:34:19 > 0:34:21Wa-hey!
0:34:21 > 0:34:23That was pretty instant, wasn't it?
0:34:25 > 0:34:29Sugar and water are poured into this industrial vat.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32They're mixed and heated to 55 degrees.
0:34:32 > 0:34:37This dissolves the sugar crystals and creates a thick syrup.
0:34:37 > 0:34:42So that's the first of 12 ingredients in the recipe.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44Next up, it's a sweetener.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47- What is this?- This is a mobile mixing tank.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50All right. And what are we going to mix in there?
0:34:50 > 0:34:52We're going to mix sucralose.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55This seems to be on a much smaller scale than the sugar.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59Yeah, because we're only making, I think it is four kilos.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02We're going to connect the water pipe up.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06If you ring the control room and just say, "Go on the water."
0:35:06 > 0:35:08That's like my wife asking me to run her a bath.
0:35:08 > 0:35:09PHONE RINGS
0:35:11 > 0:35:13- Hello.- We need the water, please.
0:35:13 > 0:35:14No problem.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20Next thing, we have to put the sucralose powder in.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22I'm guessing in there.
0:35:22 > 0:35:26You guessed right. Tip it nice and steady.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29Sucralose is manufactured from sugar.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33It's 650 times sweeter but with zero calories.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39This is fine dust and that's settling on my tongue.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43- Sweet.- And it's like having a sweet in your mouth.
0:35:43 > 0:35:44It's really nice.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53Now I need to load up vitamin C powder.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56- Take it up.- It's swinging.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58- I don't like it.- It'll be fine. Keep going.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02Whoa! It's really swinging now.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04Lower it down slightly.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08I've got to get the tassel through the hole, right? It's like a game.
0:36:08 > 0:36:09There we go, there we go.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11That was good. Good job.
0:36:14 > 0:36:19The vitamin C is emptied out to make a solution and sent through
0:36:19 > 0:36:20to the mixing room...
0:36:23 > 0:36:27..where it's headed for a contraption known as the dosing rig.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32Watch your step.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35Here, Craig connects up the rest of the ingredients
0:36:35 > 0:36:38which include three flavourings, two more sweeteners,
0:36:38 > 0:36:40a thickener and a natural colour.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43Come on then, let's get it going. Let's get it going.
0:36:43 > 0:36:48They're all measured out in precise amounts and sent to the rig.
0:36:50 > 0:36:51PHONE RINGS
0:36:51 > 0:36:56- Hello.- Would you please start the batch on A3?
0:36:56 > 0:36:57- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:37:01 > 0:37:06The rig sends each ingredient into an enormous mixing tank.
0:37:06 > 0:37:07First, water.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15And then all the other ingredients, including, of course,
0:37:15 > 0:37:18the concentrated blackcurrant juice.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22They're mixed until everything is evenly distributed
0:37:22 > 0:37:23through the batch.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25That is a very powerful smell.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31There's nearly 6,000 litres in there.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33That is a serious volume of liquid.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36I don't suppose you've got a 15 foot straw, have you?
0:37:36 > 0:37:37We could get one.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50It won't be long before our drink is ready to go into bottles.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53To make them, we'll need some plastic.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56Cherry's been finding out exactly where it comes from.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02And it turns out, it's from other bottles.
0:38:06 > 0:38:11Every year in Europe, we use 105 billion plastic bottles
0:38:11 > 0:38:14and 1 billion end up here to be recycled.
0:38:16 > 0:38:20This plant in Zeewolde in the Netherlands is one of the largest
0:38:20 > 0:38:23plastic bottle recycling factories in Europe.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26It's run by Mark Rusink.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30- Lovely to meet you.- Hi, Cherry. - It almost looks like a piece of art.
0:38:30 > 0:38:34So these are the bales of squashed plastic bottles?
0:38:34 > 0:38:36Yes, lots of squashed PET bottles.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39- PET? That's the type of plastic? - That's the type of plastic.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41Why do you recycle that kind of plastic?
0:38:41 > 0:38:44Because you can use it again into new PET bottles again.
0:38:44 > 0:38:45It's easy to recycle.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49OK, so the PET bottles become completely new bottles?
0:38:49 > 0:38:51- Yes.- They are genuinely being recycled?
0:38:51 > 0:38:54- Yeah, definitely.- You don't just bung them in a landfill.
0:38:54 > 0:38:55No, no, no. Definitely not.
0:38:57 > 0:39:02Most polyethylene terephthalate, or PET soft drink bottles,
0:39:02 > 0:39:05are designed to be disposable.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08If you're a good citizen, you throw them in your recycling bin
0:39:08 > 0:39:13and your council sorts them out and sends them on to people like Mark.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16How many lorry loads like this do you get every day?
0:39:16 > 0:39:18- About eight.- Wow.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22That's 2.5 million bottles a day.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25There are 8,000 of them in each bale,
0:39:25 > 0:39:30and turning them into a form of plastic that can be reused
0:39:30 > 0:39:33is far from straightforward.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38So what's going on in here?
0:39:38 > 0:39:40We're putting these bales on the incline conveyor.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42And then they go to the shredder.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45So the bottles go up this conveyor belt
0:39:45 > 0:39:47- into the machine that shreds them? - Yeah.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53- OK. How can I help?- You can cut a wire?- Yeah, I'll do that.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56Keep a distance.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58Yay! I see what you mean.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00Yeah, there's pressure. Be careful.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07That was a lot more fun than I thought it was going to be.
0:40:12 > 0:40:17The bales are ground into flakes which head to a tank of water.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20The lighter bits, the labels and caps, float to the top,
0:40:20 > 0:40:25while the heavier flakes, the bits they want, sink to the bottom.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29So simple but it's so clever.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32A quick soapy wash gets rid of any residues of glue
0:40:32 > 0:40:34or the original contents of the bottles.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36Wow!
0:40:36 > 0:40:38Then jets of air blast the flakes
0:40:38 > 0:40:41and sort them according to their colour.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43I need the clear ones for Gregg's bottles.
0:40:46 > 0:40:47Oh! Oh!
0:40:59 > 0:41:04Next, the flakes are melted down at 280 Celsius,
0:41:04 > 0:41:06turning them into molten strings.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19These long strings of plastic are cooled
0:41:19 > 0:41:21and cut up into four millimetre pellets...
0:41:24 > 0:41:27..and stored in 20 metre tall silos.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31This is what you were after.
0:41:31 > 0:41:35- Yes.- Tiny little perfect pellets of plastic.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38- Correct.- So is that done now?
0:41:38 > 0:41:40No. Still one step to go.
0:41:41 > 0:41:46Finally, the pellets are heated back up, almost to melting point...
0:41:50 > 0:41:54..and rolled in these gigantic tumble dryers for 18 hours.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00This process strengthens and cleans them
0:42:00 > 0:42:04meaning they can be safely turned back into drinks bottles.
0:42:06 > 0:42:12So this whole process requires so much heat and water and energy.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15Is it really environmentally friendly?
0:42:15 > 0:42:19Yes, it is, because this only takes a quarter of the normal energy
0:42:19 > 0:42:22and, of course, it's coming out of a closed loop system,
0:42:22 > 0:42:24so we can do this over and over and over again.
0:42:24 > 0:42:30So old bottles make pellets that will be turned into bottles again.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33And after those bottles have been used,
0:42:33 > 0:42:36they can be recycled again and again.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40Some of this batch is destined for our factory.
0:42:42 > 0:42:47577, 578, 579.
0:42:47 > 0:42:55Every bottle that Gregg sees being made will contain 23g or 1,150
0:42:55 > 0:42:59of these food-safe recycled plastic pellets.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02One, two...
0:43:11 > 0:43:1416 hours and 40 minutes into the process
0:43:14 > 0:43:18and my soft drink is ready to be bottled.
0:43:18 > 0:43:22The factory receives three truckloads of recycled pellets
0:43:22 > 0:43:25every week, so they can make all the bottles they need
0:43:25 > 0:43:27right here on site.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30The pellets are sent over to bottle production
0:43:30 > 0:43:33and manufacturing manager, Mark Yandle.
0:43:33 > 0:43:37This is the injection moulding machine.
0:43:37 > 0:43:39Of course it is. The injection moulding machine.
0:43:39 > 0:43:41What is happening?
0:43:41 > 0:43:43It just looks like an enormous printing press.
0:43:43 > 0:43:46Exactly. So the pellets now are coming into this big hopper
0:43:46 > 0:43:48- above the machine.- Right, OK.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51We've put about nine tonnes of material in there.
0:43:51 > 0:43:53- That's a serious amount.- So then we heat up the pellets
0:43:53 > 0:43:57to about 180 degrees, and then the pellets make their way down,
0:43:57 > 0:43:59just through gravity, like a bird feeder system,
0:43:59 > 0:44:01and they start to come into the extruder,
0:44:01 > 0:44:04where we heat it up to 240 degrees.
0:44:04 > 0:44:07- That is seriously hot molten plastic.- Exactly.
0:44:12 > 0:44:14Oi-oi!
0:44:14 > 0:44:16Here he goes. What happens here, what's this?
0:44:16 > 0:44:18We're going to make a thing called a pre-form.
0:44:18 > 0:44:20- Right, what's that? - That's one of these.
0:44:20 > 0:44:24A pre-form is basically a miniature bottle.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27Although it looks more like a plastic test-tube
0:44:27 > 0:44:28with a large screw-top.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31We inject the molten material into the cavity of the mould
0:44:31 > 0:44:34and that forms our shape, ready for the bottle blowing process.
0:44:39 > 0:44:40Why don't you just make a bottle?
0:44:40 > 0:44:42Because that's not a bottle blowing machine.
0:44:42 > 0:44:44Well, put a bottle blowing machine in there, mate.
0:44:44 > 0:44:47I'll tell you what, I could save you guys fortunes.
0:44:47 > 0:44:49But you're promising me that will eventually become a bottle?
0:44:49 > 0:44:51- That's right, it will. - You've got an honest face.
0:44:51 > 0:44:53How many is that doing at once?
0:44:53 > 0:44:56Every 11 seconds we make 128 preforms.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03Bottle making has to be done in two stages
0:45:03 > 0:45:06because if these preforms were blown straightaway,
0:45:06 > 0:45:08they'd produce poor quality bottles.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13Laser-guided forklifts whisk them away...
0:45:17 > 0:45:20..to a huge temperature controlled warehouse
0:45:20 > 0:45:22where they rest for 24 hours.
0:45:25 > 0:45:31Once rested, they're sent downstairs to the blowing machine.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38So how does that pre-form become a bottle?
0:45:38 > 0:45:41We heat this pre-form up in the oven so that we can distribute
0:45:41 > 0:45:43the material into the mould.
0:45:43 > 0:45:45Right, that's half of one of those actual moulds.
0:45:45 > 0:45:50- Yes, it is, yes.- Right, so this little blighter is heated up
0:45:50 > 0:45:53and once it's hot, it's pushed into this mould.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55- Yes.- How do you blow them up?
0:45:55 > 0:45:58So once the pre-form is in the mould, we hit it hard
0:45:58 > 0:46:02- with compressed air and we blow it into the shape of this mould.- I see.
0:46:02 > 0:46:03- A whack of air...- Exactly, yes.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06..blows it up, very much like me puffing into a balloon.
0:46:06 > 0:46:09Yeah, whatever the shape of the mould is, that's what it'll form.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12- How long does that take?- It takes around 0.1 of a second.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15- And we make 10 bottles a second. - Do you?- We do.
0:46:19 > 0:46:23So, in just a tenth of a second, the blow moulding machine
0:46:23 > 0:46:26grabs a pre-form, injects it with air,
0:46:26 > 0:46:29enlarges it into a half litre size,
0:46:29 > 0:46:32and sends it on its way, ready for the next one.
0:46:33 > 0:46:39It's producing an astonishing 36,000 bottles every hour.
0:46:42 > 0:46:46Next, they make their way from bottle production to filling
0:46:46 > 0:46:51through a hole high up in the wall, to be greeted by Anne-Marie Craven.
0:46:54 > 0:46:58- Anne-Marie.- Hello.- This is where the bottles come in.
0:46:58 > 0:47:02- Yes.- They travel 497 metres from the bottle factory.
0:47:02 > 0:47:05- What are you, some sort of bottle anorak?- I am indeed, yes.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08- You are, aren't you?- Yes. - You really are.
0:47:08 > 0:47:12So our bottles have come down from the bottle making factory,
0:47:12 > 0:47:15down the airveyor, and then they'll come into our filler.
0:47:15 > 0:47:17- Did you call it an airveyor? - An airveyor.
0:47:17 > 0:47:23The airveyor is a conveyor system which moves the plastic bottles
0:47:23 > 0:47:24using jets of air.
0:47:24 > 0:47:28This area sterilises the bottle with steam and sterilant.
0:47:28 > 0:47:32And it goes around on a big wheel for a certain amount of time
0:47:32 > 0:47:35and at a certain temperature.
0:47:35 > 0:47:38- What time?- 19.7 seconds.
0:47:38 > 0:47:39No, be precise.
0:47:41 > 0:47:43- 19.7 seconds. - At what temperature?
0:47:43 > 0:47:46Minimum of 28 Celsius.
0:47:46 > 0:47:49From that, we come into our rinsing area,
0:47:49 > 0:47:52where each bottle is rinsed with sterile water.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54- You're going over the top here. - Oh, I don't think so.
0:48:00 > 0:48:04The blackcurrant syrup I made earlier is mixed with water
0:48:04 > 0:48:07in a ratio of one part syrup to four parts water.
0:48:08 > 0:48:12It's pasteurised by heating it to 95 degrees.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15This kills any bacteria that can cause it to spoil
0:48:15 > 0:48:17and gives it a nine-month shelf life.
0:48:18 > 0:48:22- And then over here, they get filled within our filler.- Hey!
0:48:22 > 0:48:25MUSIC PLAYS
0:48:33 > 0:48:36A 60 head volumetric filler
0:48:36 > 0:48:41is filling ten of our half litre bottles every second.
0:48:42 > 0:48:45We make 36,000 bottles an hour here on this line.
0:48:45 > 0:48:47- 24 hours a day?- 24 hours a day.
0:48:47 > 0:48:52We then have a drop of nitrogen that goes into the headspace before capping.
0:48:52 > 0:48:57The liquid nitrogen quickly warms to room temperature and expands,
0:48:57 > 0:49:00increasing the pressure inside the bottle.
0:49:01 > 0:49:03It gives the bottle rigidity.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06So can you feel the differences in hardness?
0:49:06 > 0:49:10Yeah, this one is a lot spongier than this one.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13This is like the Gregg Wallace taut and firm one.
0:49:13 > 0:49:15- Yeah.- This is the one that's got nitrogen in it.
0:49:15 > 0:49:18One of the main reasons they make the bottle sturdy
0:49:18 > 0:49:21is so they won't get stuck in vending machines.
0:49:21 > 0:49:25Once the nitrogen has gone in, our bottle is capped by the capper.
0:49:25 > 0:49:27- It's actually called a capper? - A capper.
0:49:32 > 0:49:37Flash photographs are taken to check the caps are on correctly
0:49:37 > 0:49:41and that every bottle contains exactly 500ml.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43All the bottles have been to a nightclub, look,
0:49:43 > 0:49:46they've all came out a bit dizzy from all the flashing lights.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51Rivers of purple bottles have survived the paparazzi
0:49:51 > 0:49:55and are now happily streaming along conveyors in all directions.
0:49:56 > 0:49:59The scale here is truly astonishing.
0:50:05 > 0:50:10We Brits get through 13 billion litres of soft drinks every year.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13Ruth set out to investigate the sporting history
0:50:13 > 0:50:15of one of our all-time favourites.
0:50:23 > 0:50:25Looking at this scene around me,
0:50:25 > 0:50:27I bet you can guess what's in this glass.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30But what is barley water?
0:50:30 > 0:50:32And what's it got to do with tennis?
0:50:34 > 0:50:37Social historian Polly Russell has been looking into the history
0:50:37 > 0:50:39of this drink.
0:50:39 > 0:50:41Where did barley water come from?
0:50:41 > 0:50:45Well, it's been advocated as a kind of medicinal drink
0:50:45 > 0:50:48for hundreds and hundreds of years.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51Barley was recommended by the Greeks and the Romans
0:50:51 > 0:50:55for having calming properties, for helping strengthen the body.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58Originally, barley water was just that,
0:50:58 > 0:51:00grains of barley soaked in water.
0:51:00 > 0:51:02- Would you like to try some? - Go on, then.
0:51:02 > 0:51:06Your ancient Roman and Greek health drink.
0:51:06 > 0:51:07- Exactly.- OK.
0:51:12 > 0:51:15- It's all right.- It's fine, isn't it? - It's all right.
0:51:15 > 0:51:18I think of it rather like something you're told is good for you
0:51:18 > 0:51:20so you just sort of, like, drink it down quick and get it over
0:51:20 > 0:51:23and done with and hope that the medical theories of the day
0:51:23 > 0:51:24change fairly quickly.
0:51:27 > 0:51:31Barley water was believed to be a cure for fevers and stomach ailments.
0:51:32 > 0:51:36Variations of it are found in cookbooks all over the world,
0:51:36 > 0:51:38in every period of history.
0:51:39 > 0:51:44Fast forward to 1806, to one of the most...
0:51:44 > 0:51:46- Regency, Jane Austen.- Yep.
0:51:46 > 0:51:50- OK.- ..to Eliza Rundle's new system of domestic cookery.
0:51:50 > 0:51:54And what you find is something which is very familiar to us,
0:51:54 > 0:51:56barley water as we know it.
0:51:56 > 0:52:00- Right.- So it's a handful of common barley and three pints of water
0:52:00 > 0:52:01with a bit of lemon peel.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04And says, "This is less apt to nauseate."
0:52:04 > 0:52:07So the lemon's in there if your stomach is a bit...
0:52:07 > 0:52:11- Exactly.- And a little bit of sugar. - To sweeten the pill.
0:52:12 > 0:52:14So we've got some here, shall we try some?
0:52:14 > 0:52:16- OK, so this is with the lemon and sugar?- Yes.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18- I've got hopes for this, then.- OK.
0:52:19 > 0:52:21It's quite light.
0:52:21 > 0:52:26- Yes. It's not as potent as what we're used to, is it?- No.
0:52:26 > 0:52:3119th century women, or their cooks, made this medicinal drink at home.
0:52:31 > 0:52:34The barley needed to be simmered for at least an hour.
0:52:37 > 0:52:43But in 1823, a certain Mr Robinson found a way to make it more easily
0:52:43 > 0:52:44and more quickly.
0:52:46 > 0:52:50He patented a machine that processed barley into powder,
0:52:50 > 0:52:51reducing the cooking time.
0:52:52 > 0:52:54- Is this the stuff?- Yeah.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57You see here it says, "For expectant and nursing mothers.
0:52:57 > 0:52:59"For most invalids and convalescents."
0:52:59 > 0:53:01You've got this medicinal theme.
0:53:02 > 0:53:06Quick to make, this was one of the first food science breakthroughs
0:53:06 > 0:53:08of the Industrial Revolution.
0:53:12 > 0:53:13That's very malty.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17I like that. Do you like it?
0:53:17 > 0:53:20- I don't know. It's different. - I feel virtuous drinking it.
0:53:20 > 0:53:21- Yes.- It's wholesome.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29Robinsons was still promoting their version of barley water as a health
0:53:29 > 0:53:32drink until they hit on a brilliant new marketing ploy,
0:53:32 > 0:53:36the 1934 Wimbledon Tennis Championships.
0:53:36 > 0:53:41Salesman Eric Smedley Hodgson made up a mix of the barley powder
0:53:41 > 0:53:44with iced water, sugar and lemon
0:53:44 > 0:53:47and used it to help rehydrate the players.
0:53:50 > 0:53:53More than 250 gallons were served...
0:53:55 > 0:54:00..starting an association with tennis that continues to this day.
0:54:00 > 0:54:03Barley water had gone from being a medicinal cure-all
0:54:03 > 0:54:07to being a mass-market recreational soft drink.
0:54:07 > 0:54:10And in doing so, had become indelibly associated
0:54:10 > 0:54:12with the British summertime.
0:54:28 > 0:54:31Almost 17 hours into the production process,
0:54:31 > 0:54:34my bottles are filled and capped.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36But they're looking a little underdressed.
0:54:39 > 0:54:43So, Gregg, you can see that we've got our bottle of product.
0:54:43 > 0:54:44Can you feel that?
0:54:46 > 0:54:47Yeah, it's slightly wet.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49- Slightly greasy?- Yeah.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52So what we do is we apply a lubricant
0:54:52 > 0:54:55before our bottle is then sleeved.
0:54:56 > 0:55:00It is opened up and this places the sleeve over the bottle.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03It's incredible. It's, like, rapidly putting each bottle
0:55:03 > 0:55:06in its own little blackcurrant blanket.
0:55:06 > 0:55:07Yeah, it is indeed, yeah.
0:55:13 > 0:55:16Little plastic fingers make sure that the sleeve
0:55:16 > 0:55:20is in the right position before the bottle enters a steam tunnel
0:55:20 > 0:55:21that shrinks it into shape.
0:55:22 > 0:55:25So that's the shrunken sleeve on the bottle.
0:55:25 > 0:55:27Your blanket has become a snug blanket.
0:55:27 > 0:55:30It looks like it's been ironed on.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33It's wonderful, it's like technology that I've never seen before
0:55:33 > 0:55:36- around a drink that I've known for years.- Yeah.
0:55:40 > 0:55:45The bottles are sent along by conveyor to be wrapped up in cases
0:55:45 > 0:55:47of 12 before being stacked onto pallets.
0:55:51 > 0:55:53That is a very impressive piece of machinery.
0:55:53 > 0:55:54Isn't it just amazing?
0:55:54 > 0:55:57I can't believe how big it is and how gentle it is.
0:55:57 > 0:55:59It just uses rollers and compressed air.
0:56:00 > 0:56:02- You like it here, don't you? - I love it.
0:56:02 > 0:56:04Why? It can't be blackcurrants.
0:56:04 > 0:56:08I love the people, I love the work, I love the factory.
0:56:08 > 0:56:11- Come on. Thank you so much.- Thank you.
0:56:18 > 0:56:22Each pallet, stacked with more than 1,500 bottles,
0:56:22 > 0:56:24heads over to dispatch...
0:56:25 > 0:56:30..where I'm meeting head of logistics, Natalie Kear.
0:56:32 > 0:56:34- I've been making this. - There it all is.
0:56:34 > 0:56:37You have got a serious amount of drinks here.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39- We do, yeah.- So on a daily basis,
0:56:39 > 0:56:41how many pallets come in and out of your warehouse?
0:56:41 > 0:56:4417 pallets an hour will come off this particular line
0:56:44 > 0:56:47- where this product was run. - You know what?
0:56:47 > 0:56:49If I had a hat right now I would take it off.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57- Oh, here's one of your trucks now.- Yeah.
0:56:57 > 0:56:59Just finishing filling the vehicle.
0:57:00 > 0:57:01How many pallets on there?
0:57:01 > 0:57:06There is 26 pallets on there, 41,000 bottles.
0:57:07 > 0:57:11- Wow! How many lorries come in and out of here?- About 120 a day.
0:57:11 > 0:57:13Every 15 minutes, a full vehicle is leaving.
0:57:13 > 0:57:15That's beyond my comprehension.
0:57:19 > 0:57:20All right, Chris, take it away.
0:57:26 > 0:57:29Because my batch is a brand-new recipe,
0:57:29 > 0:57:33it's heading off for some final tests before it's put on sale.
0:57:34 > 0:57:38The original recipe is drunk in 30 countries across the globe.
0:57:39 > 0:57:42It has a big fan base in Denmark
0:57:42 > 0:57:46but also goes as far afield as Australia and Jamaica.
0:57:49 > 0:57:52I've enjoyed this, watching the process and looking at
0:57:52 > 0:57:55the technology, but I love the journey of the humble blackcurrant,
0:57:55 > 0:57:59through harvesting and heating and squashing,
0:57:59 > 0:58:02having its smell removed, having its smell put back in again.
0:58:02 > 0:58:06But what really amazes me is over 90%,
0:58:06 > 0:58:10that's virtually all the blackcurrants grown in the UK,
0:58:10 > 0:58:12go into this drink.
0:58:12 > 0:58:153 million bottles of it every single week.