0:00:02 > 0:00:05There's a lot we don't know about the food on our plate.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09And the shops and the labels don't always tell you the whole story.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11You think you're getting a bargain,
0:00:11 > 0:00:14and you're not really. They're just encouraging you to buy
0:00:14 > 0:00:17more of a product when you don't need to.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20Whether you're staying in or going out, you've told us you can
0:00:20 > 0:00:22feel ripped off by the promises made about what you eat
0:00:22 > 0:00:24and what you pay for it.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26What really winds me up is the price
0:00:26 > 0:00:29of so-called healthy food - then compared with the unhealthy stuff.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32The unhealthy stuff seems to be so much cheaper.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36From claims that don't stack up to the secrets behind the packaging,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39we'll uncover the truth about Britain's food so you can be sure
0:00:39 > 0:00:43that you are getting what you expect, at the right price!
0:00:43 > 0:00:48Your food. Your money. This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54Hello and welcome to Rip-Off Britain, where, as ever,
0:00:54 > 0:00:56we've been busy fighting your corner and we're investigating
0:00:56 > 0:00:59whether you're getting the best value with the things you buy.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03And this week, we're all about the things to do with food and
0:01:03 > 0:01:07drink, an area where you'll often be told you're getting a great deal,
0:01:07 > 0:01:08but you may not be.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12How true is that situation? Indeed sometimes the exact opposite is true
0:01:12 > 0:01:16and the claims that make you think you were bagging a bargain turn out
0:01:16 > 0:01:19to be a much less clear-cut situation than it seemed
0:01:19 > 0:01:20when you were handing over your money.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24So today, we're going to investigate some of the everyday situations
0:01:24 > 0:01:27or products that, and this is the word, appear to be
0:01:27 > 0:01:30offering value for money and we'll find out if they really do.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33Which means that along the way, we'll have plenty of money-saving
0:01:33 > 0:01:35tips that you really don't want to miss.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38Some of them come courtesy of a familiar face,
0:01:38 > 0:01:41someone you'll remember who had a huge impact the last time
0:01:41 > 0:01:43that he was on the programme.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46It's the Coupon Kid, and he's back!
0:01:46 > 0:01:50So listen out for how, by following his advice, we could actually
0:01:50 > 0:01:54help you to slash the cost of your weekly shop.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00Coming up, I'm the guinea pig for the high street tests that promise
0:02:00 > 0:02:03to diagnose food intolerances you may never know you had.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06Why doctors say you're wasting your cash.
0:02:07 > 0:02:13The science behind food intolerance tests, such as these, simply
0:02:13 > 0:02:17doesn't stack up against scientific critique.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19My advice would be to save your money.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24And the nation's favourite money-saving kid.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28We catch up with Jordon Cox to see what he can do to bring down
0:02:28 > 0:02:30the cost of your weekly shop.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35It genuinely has changed how I look at things, how I shop.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37I really do think about it now.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40And in the long run, I really can see it making a difference.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Now, do you think you're intolerant to certain foods?
0:02:47 > 0:02:50More people believe that they are than ever before.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52And if you're one of them, you might be tempted by one of
0:02:52 > 0:02:54the do-it-yourself kits you can find
0:02:54 > 0:02:56in some well-known high street stores.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00These promise that their simple test will help you find out for sure.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04But are they any good? Many doctors would say no.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Well, the only way to find out whether the claims
0:03:07 > 0:03:11made for these products are true was to try a couple of them myself.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14And I certainly wasn't expecting what I found out.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Many of us would say that there are certain foods that,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23whether we like the taste of them or not, we have to avoid.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26I've suffered in the past with things like bread.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28Dairy, like cheese and stuff.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30But now I've just learnt
0:03:30 > 0:03:33to cut it down and eat, like, healthier choices.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36I tend to be intolerant very much of dairy, anything with dairy.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38While exact figures don't exist,
0:03:38 > 0:03:42it's thought as few as 2% of us have a genuine allergy.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45More of us are likely to have an intolerance, again,
0:03:45 > 0:03:49nowhere near as many as the number of people who think they do.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52But the sheer perception that there are foods we really shouldn't eat
0:03:52 > 0:03:56is helping to fuel a market in home-testing kits which promise to
0:03:56 > 0:03:59make it easy to find out for yourself.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01These kits have come in for a lot of criticism
0:04:01 > 0:04:05with both The British Dietetic Association and Allergy UK
0:04:05 > 0:04:10suggesting most are unreliable and not backed up by science.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12So we're going to put some of them to the test.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16And for that, we need a guinea pig. And guess who that is - me.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20Now, as far as I know, I don't have any food intolerances,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22but we're going to find out whether I'm right.
0:04:23 > 0:04:28We're going to test two kits that claim to detect intolerances.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31One that promises almost instant results at home
0:04:31 > 0:04:34and another which asks you to send off a sample of hair
0:04:34 > 0:04:36for analysis in their labs.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40So, let's start with the painful bit.
0:04:41 > 0:04:46Claims to measure something called IGG antibodies in the system,
0:04:46 > 0:04:51and you have to mix a small sample of blood with proteins in a tray.
0:04:51 > 0:04:56This test costs £65 and it tells me it can detect intolerances
0:04:56 > 0:05:00not just to food groups such as cereals, meats and vegetables,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03but it can also, apparently, even pick out very specific foods
0:05:03 > 0:05:08I might have a problem with, such as Durum wheat, lobster and melon.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12So while the blood test is busy working,
0:05:12 > 0:05:14let's get onto the hair analysis.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17This one's a little cheaper at £54.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22This test doesn't just limit itself to food.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Its makers claim it can detect intolerances to more
0:05:25 > 0:05:30than 600 different things including pollen and pets.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34By the way, I've been blonde by act of will since the age of 18,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37so if they can find anything natural about these hairs,
0:05:37 > 0:05:38they're doing jolly well.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41So one, two, three...
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Go!
0:05:44 > 0:05:47The packet tells me to expect an answer in a week.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Now we chose those particular tests
0:05:49 > 0:05:52because they're two of the most widely available on the high street.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54But dietician Sioned Quirke
0:05:54 > 0:05:58isn't convinced I'll be able to rely on the results.
0:05:58 > 0:06:03People may have problems digesting certain foods, but it doesn't mean
0:06:03 > 0:06:07they've got an intolerance. Some people are so desperate to find
0:06:07 > 0:06:10out what's going on, so if they experience something like bloating
0:06:10 > 0:06:15and diarrhoea on a daily basis, they just want an easy answer.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19What's going on? What can I cut out that's going to stop these horrible
0:06:19 > 0:06:23symptoms? So I think sometimes they buy a kit and it comes up
0:06:23 > 0:06:25with a couple of intolerances and they think,
0:06:25 > 0:06:27"Bingo, I've got the answer."
0:06:28 > 0:06:32But Sioned says pinning down a genuine food intolerance
0:06:32 > 0:06:35isn't as simple as tests like these would have you believe.
0:06:35 > 0:06:40A food intolerance is quite difficult to diagnose in such
0:06:40 > 0:06:42as there's not a specific test that we can use,
0:06:42 > 0:06:45that will give us a yes or a no.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48The food detective thing which was all that stuff with the trays
0:06:48 > 0:06:51and the water and all...
0:06:51 > 0:06:54The net result is that little blue dot in the corner there.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58And that single blue dot means I've got the all clear
0:06:58 > 0:07:01and the test hasn't revealed any food intolerances at all,
0:07:01 > 0:07:02which is great news,
0:07:02 > 0:07:04if not entirely unexpected.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06But a week later,
0:07:06 > 0:07:09when I got the results of the hair strand test, sold under
0:07:09 > 0:07:13the name The Intolerance Test, it was a very different story.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17This time, I was told I'm intolerant to more than 30 different
0:07:17 > 0:07:19things, including 19 foods -
0:07:19 > 0:07:23among them, things I regularly eat and enjoy without ever having
0:07:23 > 0:07:26a problem, such as salmon and chicken.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30I'm apparently 99% intolerant to cod. That's news to me!
0:07:30 > 0:07:34It also says I'm 99% intolerant to olives,
0:07:34 > 0:07:3897% intolerant to kiwi and curry spices.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42Lime, radish, chilli, macadamia nuts and soya beans -
0:07:42 > 0:07:47it's an extensive list of practically all my favourite things.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50But most surprising of all is the fact that the list includes
0:07:50 > 0:07:53lots of intolerances that the first test I took also claimed
0:07:53 > 0:07:55to identify, including peppers,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58lemon and the cod and olives that this test tells me
0:07:58 > 0:08:01I'm 99% intolerant to.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05But, remember, the other test didn't show up any problem.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09So how can two tests come back with completely different results?
0:08:09 > 0:08:10Time to talk to a specialist.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15So, Dr Campbell, I've now had all the results back,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18you've seen them, what do you make of all that?
0:08:18 > 0:08:19The tests themselves
0:08:19 > 0:08:21are quite contradictory,
0:08:21 > 0:08:25and I think this highlights some of the problems with food
0:08:25 > 0:08:30intolerance tests. The science behind food intolerance tests
0:08:30 > 0:08:36such as these simply doesn't stack up against scientific critique,
0:08:36 > 0:08:38as you've illustrated here.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41The results are unreliable
0:08:41 > 0:08:46and they don't correlate well with patients' symptoms.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52Even so, I was interested to know what the companies selling these kits
0:08:52 > 0:08:53had to say about the results.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56The first test, the Food Detective one which gave me
0:08:56 > 0:09:00the all clear, in my own opinion of course, was absolutely right in not
0:09:00 > 0:09:03indicating any food intolerances at all.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06But with all the official guidance advising against any of these
0:09:06 > 0:09:09kinds of tests, I wondered if the company behind this one
0:09:09 > 0:09:12would have the evidence to show it's reliable.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16Well, when we asked just that, the company insisted that
0:09:16 > 0:09:17the test is based on a...
0:09:22 > 0:09:25..and that there is evidence indicating that the...
0:09:28 > 0:09:31..which it's based on, is a "useful tool"
0:09:31 > 0:09:34with "clinically meaningful results".
0:09:34 > 0:09:37But it accepts there is controversy and cynicism
0:09:37 > 0:09:40from medical professionals around intolerance testing,
0:09:40 > 0:09:41which is why it's...
0:09:49 > 0:09:52The company went on to say that the test should only be used...
0:09:54 > 0:09:57..which I suppose means I shouldn't really have taken it.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Even so, the company says it performed...
0:10:03 > 0:10:06As for the second kit I tried, The Intolerance Test that
0:10:06 > 0:10:09I sent my precious hair sample off to and which told me
0:10:09 > 0:10:12I was intolerant to 19 different foods...
0:10:12 > 0:10:16Well, when we asked the company behind that to justify its claims,
0:10:16 > 0:10:17it declined to comment.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21But it's hard to imagine anything they might have said would
0:10:21 > 0:10:24have convinced groups like the British Dietetic Association
0:10:24 > 0:10:28that tests such as these are worth the money.
0:10:28 > 0:10:33Ideally, I don't want to advocate people using home-testing kits
0:10:33 > 0:10:37because they have no scientific basis, so it's all down to chance.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41So if somebody feels that there is a problem, either with an intolerance
0:10:41 > 0:10:46or any other type of gastro problem, go and see your GP because
0:10:46 > 0:10:50they'll easily be able to signpost you in the right direction.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Now, in a world of supermarket price wars and special offers,
0:11:01 > 0:11:05the total we're paying at the tills just seems to go up and up.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08But there are ways to keep those bills down.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11And one of the most spectacular methods was memorably illustrated
0:11:11 > 0:11:13on Rip-Off Britain last year
0:11:13 > 0:11:18when we met Jordon Cox, the teenager better known as the Coupon Kid!
0:11:18 > 0:11:21You'll remember how he slashes the cost of his mum's shopping
0:11:21 > 0:11:25by hunting down all sorts of coupons which, over the past year,
0:11:25 > 0:11:27has saved her thousands of pounds.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31Well, we had a huge response from you to Jordon and his tips, so we've
0:11:31 > 0:11:35been to see him again, to find out whether anyone can save money
0:11:35 > 0:11:37by using his methods.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40And this time, we set him a challenge to see if
0:11:40 > 0:11:44his ideas could help another young mum reduce her shopping bills too.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Jordon Cox is the Coupon Kid, a title he earned
0:11:49 > 0:11:52thanks to the amazing way he uses money-saving offers
0:11:52 > 0:11:56and coupons to cut down on his family's shopping bills.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59And we're not just talking about saving a few pennies
0:11:59 > 0:12:01here and there...
0:12:01 > 0:12:04My biggest savings with coupons was just over £600 worth of shopping
0:12:04 > 0:12:06for 4p, and I donated it all
0:12:06 > 0:12:08to a homeless shelter for Christmas.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11They fed about 150 people and I only paid 4p for it.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Jordon came into the studio on our live series back in October
0:12:16 > 0:12:19and we asked him to show us exactly what he could do.
0:12:19 > 0:12:24- So, how did it work out?- Well, all of this should have cost me £32.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26- And I have some change for you... - You've got change!
0:12:26 > 0:12:28I can't believe it!
0:12:28 > 0:12:31- A fiver, OK.- So, £5.- That's not it.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34- There's another pound. - OK, so six back.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38- And another pound. - Seven back.- And 16p.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42- That is unbelievable. - £2.84.- £2.84. Yep.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44- All that?- Yep.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46We were shocked.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Well, Jordon and his coupons were a huge hit.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53We were inundated with comments and queries about how he does it,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57with loads of you keen to see if his ideas could work for you as well.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00So we asked Jordon to come back and show us more of his secrets
0:13:00 > 0:13:04and to see if he could pass his skills on to 29-year-old
0:13:04 > 0:13:07teaching assistant Lucy Black, from Brighouse in West Yorkshire.
0:13:08 > 0:13:13I'm a single mum. I've got a little boy who's three.
0:13:13 > 0:13:14Sometimes we struggle.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19I'd watched the show and seen Jordon on there,
0:13:19 > 0:13:20seen what he could do,
0:13:20 > 0:13:26and I was just fascinated to learn how I could do it myself, really.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28When Jordon came on Rip-Off Britain,
0:13:28 > 0:13:32he saved a lot of money on a single shopping trip.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35But this time, we wanted to see how his skills could be put to use
0:13:35 > 0:13:38week after week on all the food that Lucy buys.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43Lucy's situation really reminds me of myself and my mum
0:13:43 > 0:13:46when we were starting out. Before we started couponing,
0:13:46 > 0:13:49we were struggling, we didn't know what to do.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52I really hope that she can learn how to do this
0:13:52 > 0:13:56so she can save on her supermarket shop and have the luxuries in life.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00First of all, Jordon needs to find out just how savvy a shopper Lucy
0:14:00 > 0:14:04already is and that starts with where she shops.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06Like thousands of us, Lucy has swapped the big
0:14:06 > 0:14:10supermarkets for the smaller discount ones like Aldi and Lidl.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14But Jordon's not convinced that's going to be the best option
0:14:14 > 0:14:17where coupons are concerned because the best offers usually
0:14:17 > 0:14:22come from branded products that the discount stores don't always sell.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Aldi can be good for buying, like, off-brand products,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28but if you really want to start saving with coupons
0:14:28 > 0:14:30and cash back, they're mostly for big name supermarkets.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35Lucy spends between £40 and £50 a week on food for herself
0:14:35 > 0:14:38and her three-year-old son, Finley.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40So do you think you're getting the most for your money? Are you
0:14:40 > 0:14:44using, like, any money-saving tactics to get money off your shop?
0:14:44 > 0:14:47I'd usually go for offers - if there's buy one get one free
0:14:47 > 0:14:51or two for three pounds or something like that, where I can.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55But that isn't always going to be the best way of saving money either
0:14:55 > 0:14:58because not all special offers are as special as
0:14:58 > 0:14:59they might appear!
0:14:59 > 0:15:03However, the good news is that when a supermarket offer is a good deal,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06some canny couponing could save you even more money.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11His secret weapon for finding those killer coupons is the internet.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15So, where would you go to first?
0:15:15 > 0:15:19I'd start with sites where you can print out coupons straightaway.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21All you have to do is sign up,
0:15:21 > 0:15:23you install some special coupon printer software
0:15:23 > 0:15:26- and then they just print out of your printer straight away.- Right.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30But don't stop there. Checking the websites
0:15:30 > 0:15:33and Facebook pages of well-known brands can often turn up not
0:15:33 > 0:15:37just money off coupons, but vouchers for completely free products.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40And Jordon also uses lots of vouchers he gets directly from
0:15:40 > 0:15:44supermarkets - from their in-store magazines, loyalty card schemes
0:15:44 > 0:15:47like Nectar and bonus vouchers that he picks up at the till.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50After just a few minutes online, Jordon has found
0:15:50 > 0:15:53plenty of deals that could help Lucy save money without
0:15:53 > 0:15:55compromising the foods she loves.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58So, for all of these coupons that we've just had a little
0:15:58 > 0:16:03browse around the internet for, we've got £15.60 worth of savings.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05- That's if you use all of them.- Yeah.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08- So shall we start cutting out the coupons?- Let's.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Finley, do you want to help us?
0:16:10 > 0:16:12You've got some little scissors, haven't you?
0:16:12 > 0:16:15So, with the coupons for her first shop printed,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18the final stage of Jordon's money-saving masterclass is
0:16:18 > 0:16:22to plan which shops Lucy needs to visit to maximise her savings.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24But before he leaves her to it,
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Jordon has a note of caution for Lucy.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30Don't buy the product just cos you've got a coupon for it.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34- Yeah.- Only buy it if you need it or if you buy it every single week.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36If you've got like a coupon for 50p off crisps
0:16:36 > 0:16:39and you don't like that brand, you're just spending extra money.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43- So, only use coupons for the things that you would normally buy.- Right.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47So, with those words of wisdom, it's time for Jordon to see
0:16:47 > 0:16:50if Lucy and Finley can put his tips into practice.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Lucy kicked off by following the advice to shop at lots
0:16:56 > 0:16:59of different stores rather than stick to the same one.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02And when we went back to see her just over a month after
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Jordon's visit, she couldn't wait to show us some of her bargains
0:17:05 > 0:17:07and the offers that helped her find them.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11This shop here cost £19 at Tesco,
0:17:11 > 0:17:16with using the vouchers and the club card coupons,
0:17:16 > 0:17:21I've made a saving of £5, so it all came to £14.02.
0:17:21 > 0:17:26The shampoo, there was a 75p off voucher for that.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29I've been able to make a saving on the Tesco's own butter,
0:17:29 > 0:17:31that was 65p off.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Off their tuna, was 25p.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37And again, off the olives, was 25p.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41Which is... They all seem like small
0:17:41 > 0:17:45amounts, but it adds up in the end, you know, it has made a difference.
0:17:45 > 0:17:50The exact amount Lucy saved on each shop varied week by week.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53But in total, over five shops across a month,
0:17:53 > 0:17:57she saved a whopping £51.71.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01Now, that means she knocked more than a quarter off her usual spend.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05If she was able to keep up the same rate of savings over a full year,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08which she's confident she could now do as she's got the hang of it,
0:18:08 > 0:18:12she could end up with an extra £620 in her pocket.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18It genuinely has changed how I look at things,
0:18:18 > 0:18:23how I shop, how I organise myself when I go.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25You know, I really do think about it now.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29And in the long run, I really can see it making a difference.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33And if you would like it to make a difference to your shopping as well,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36you can find some of Jordon's couponing tips on our website.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Still to come on Rip-Off Britain...
0:18:47 > 0:18:50Who ate all the pies? And were they any good?
0:18:50 > 0:18:54We take to the terraces to see why one football fan feels he's
0:18:54 > 0:18:57being short-changed when it comes to his match-day treat.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Quite frankly, it's not just the size of the pie.
0:19:01 > 0:19:02It's expensive.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06It's poor quality and it's just really not acceptable.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13Britain is a proud nation of pie lovers.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17And there are lots of occasions when a pie really is the perfect food,
0:19:17 > 0:19:19like for instance at a football match.
0:19:19 > 0:19:24It's hearty, it's wholesome and, most importantly, hand-held.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27A football pie really is fuel for fans on the terraces.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31Rather like this one, which I have to say, looks absolutely delicious.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33But of course not all pies are equal.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37Some football clubs sell factory-made, bargain basement pies
0:19:37 > 0:19:39at a really big mark up while others...
0:19:39 > 0:19:42well, they take pride in their pastry
0:19:42 > 0:19:44and put in only the very best ingredients.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47I tell you, I know which club I'd support.
0:19:47 > 0:19:53But could the quality of the pies even convince one avid football fan
0:19:53 > 0:19:54to change his allegiance?
0:19:57 > 0:20:01For some football fans, a key part of going to a match isn't
0:20:01 > 0:20:03really anything to do with the game itself.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05It's the pie they enjoy at half-time.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09And Kevin Mitchell is a big fan - of both his local team,
0:20:09 > 0:20:11Bradford City and a traditional pie.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13The first half,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16whether you're winning, you're drawing, you're losing,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19you look forward at half-time to a cup of tea,
0:20:19 > 0:20:21a coffee and a pie.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24For all age groups - older men like myself, young kids,
0:20:24 > 0:20:26it doesn't matter - we all love a pie.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Now, in the past few years, the humble pie has undergone
0:20:31 > 0:20:32something of a renaissance.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36Gourmet pies lining supermarket shelves and on restaurant menus
0:20:36 > 0:20:40are chock-full of high quality, mouthwatering ingredients.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42But Kevin reckons some of the ones
0:20:42 > 0:20:45sold at a typical football match have been left behind,
0:20:45 > 0:20:50including, he's sad to say, those at his own beloved club.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Well, I've just bought this pie priced at £3.20.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55Is it good value? Not really.
0:20:55 > 0:21:00For the family with children, a man, his wife, two kids,
0:21:00 > 0:21:01it's a lot of money.
0:21:01 > 0:21:06Like some other teams, Bradford buys its pies in.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Pre-made and at £3.20 each,
0:21:08 > 0:21:12Kevin thinks they're, hardly top of the table.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16Quite frankly, it's not just the size of the pie.
0:21:16 > 0:21:17It's expensive.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21It's poor quality and it's just really not acceptable.
0:21:21 > 0:21:27So how does Kevin's Bradford City pie compare to pies at other clubs?
0:21:27 > 0:21:31Well, in 2014, BBC Sport created a league table of the cheapest
0:21:31 > 0:21:36and the priciest pies in the 92 top flight clubs in English football.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40Leading the way for cheap pies is Rochdale,
0:21:40 > 0:21:42Bradford's League 1 rivals -
0:21:42 > 0:21:44with a pie costing just £2.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47Burnley and Chelsea have the cheapest pies in the top division
0:21:47 > 0:21:52of English football, the Premier League, where a pie is £2.50.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54The most expensive pie in the top four leagues,
0:21:54 > 0:21:57that's Brighton and Hove Albion in England's second tier,
0:21:57 > 0:22:02the Championship, where a pie costs a princely £4.10.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05But theirs are handmade, award-winning pies -
0:22:05 > 0:22:08and as such, are considered by many to be worth every penny.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12As for Bradford... Well, they're languishing in equal 59th place,
0:22:12 > 0:22:18with their £3.20 pie nearly 20p above the average price of £3.03.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Of course, who's top of the league isn't just about price,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23it's also about quality and flavour.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28Even though the cost of pies across British grounds is often
0:22:28 > 0:22:31quite similar around the three to 3.50 mark,
0:22:31 > 0:22:35there's, unfortunately, a drastic difference between our highest-rated
0:22:35 > 0:22:37and lowest-rated pies.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41Some of them really do have that quality ingredient.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43They're well cooked, they're cooked on site,
0:22:43 > 0:22:47whereas others, it seems like the pie is just an afterthought.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51It can be lacking in filling. It can fall apart upon eating it,
0:22:51 > 0:22:55Sometimes it's not even cooked properly or it's been heated
0:22:55 > 0:22:59too long and it's dry and therefore very unenjoyable.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03Kevin would be happy to pay more for a pie he enjoyed. So, where
0:23:03 > 0:23:08other than Brighton could he find one that's a high-scorer when it comes to taste?
0:23:08 > 0:23:10Well, help is at hand because every year,
0:23:10 > 0:23:14the British Pie Awards honour the best pie in football -
0:23:14 > 0:23:15and twice in recent years -
0:23:15 > 0:23:19including in 2014 - that's been won by Morecambe FC.
0:23:19 > 0:23:24So, Kevin's taken an awayday to find out what makes these pies such a strong contender.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27Graham Aimson is chief pie-maker at Morecambe.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29To the outsider, many people would say,
0:23:29 > 0:23:31"What's the big deal about pies?"
0:23:31 > 0:23:33But there is a big deal, isn't there?
0:23:33 > 0:23:36It's massive - pies and football are like bread and butter.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39The two things you go to a match for is the football first and the pie second.
0:23:39 > 0:23:44You can't guarantee the football, but we will guarantee you'll have a great day with the pie.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47At every home match, Graham and two other kitchen staff turn out
0:23:47 > 0:23:50more than 1,000 pies in four different varieties.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54And with just over 2,000 people attending each game, that's means
0:23:54 > 0:23:58a mighty 50% of them will tuck into one of those award-winning beauties.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Now then, Kevin, welcome to the kitchen.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Everyone who comes in gets a nice blue apron.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05So if you pop that on... We've got this lovely machine here.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Put the pie into there, remove our fingers, two tonnes of pressure
0:24:08 > 0:24:11from that, so it'll flatten your fingers which is no good.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14And then we just pull the whole thing down like that,
0:24:14 > 0:24:15right to the very bottom.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19You'll see the excess pastry fall over, so we get a good lining,
0:24:19 > 0:24:20and that's basically a base.
0:24:20 > 0:24:25At £3 a pie, Morecambe came joint 31st in our pricey
0:24:25 > 0:24:29pie table - pretty much bang on the average for all league clubs.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33But it's still 20p cheaper than the pies at Kevin's beloved
0:24:33 > 0:24:34Bradford City.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Bradford City as a club means a lot to me,
0:24:37 > 0:24:39but the pies don't, quite frankly.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42I'd like to know what Bradford can do as a club
0:24:42 > 0:24:44to improve and perhaps reach your standards.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Not just Bradford but a lot of clubs should be looking at doing is
0:24:47 > 0:24:49talking to their suppliers
0:24:49 > 0:24:51and saying how they can make that pie into a better product.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54There's an awful lot of sales they're missing out on then
0:24:54 > 0:24:55because of a lower quality product.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58It gives the fans as though they're getting good value for money.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02I would imagine, uh, it enhances people wanting to come to Morecombe Football Club.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05We've had e-mails from Holland and Texas saying how good the food is.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08And we've had people come from Europe to try the pies.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10And when we hear of fans saying,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13"We've come for the football, but more importantly, for the pie,"
0:25:13 > 0:25:16that brings it home that we're doing the right thing.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18So that raises the question -
0:25:18 > 0:25:22how can one club produce an award-winning pie by hand
0:25:22 > 0:25:25for less than other clubs charge for one that's mass produced?
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Bradford City doesn't set the price of its pies.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31That's done by a company called Centreplate which handles all
0:25:31 > 0:25:32the catering at the stadium.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37When we spoke to the company, it told us it's...
0:25:42 > 0:25:44..from the club's supporters.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47But it said in light of the points Kevin has raised,
0:25:47 > 0:25:50it now plans to re-evaluate its pie offering.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58But could what Kevin's seen and tasted be enough to convince
0:25:58 > 0:26:01him to come back and support Morecambe a bit more often?
0:26:01 > 0:26:06It's been a brilliant day and this pie is absolutely fantastic.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Is it good enough to make me change allegiances?
0:26:09 > 0:26:14Maybe not quite, but I tell you what, it came very, very close.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Here at Rip-Off Britain, we're always ready to investigate
0:26:22 > 0:26:24more of your stories on any subject.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28Are you confused over your bills, or just trying to wade through
0:26:28 > 0:26:30never-ending small print?
0:26:30 > 0:26:33It's very frustrating because it makes what should be
0:26:33 > 0:26:35a quite simple job a lot more complicated.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38And I think some people just give up, so they don't get the best deal.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42Maybe you're unsure what to do when you discover you've lost out
0:26:42 > 0:26:46and that so-called "great deal" has ended up costing you money.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49People are buying into this - I did, you know.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52And are they going to be as awkward with them as they were with me?
0:26:52 > 0:26:54You might have a cautionary tale of your own
0:26:54 > 0:26:58and want to share the mistakes you made with us.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02It upsets me an awful lot because, you know, I'm retired
0:27:02 > 0:27:06and I begrudge having to pay that kind of money out.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10You can write to us at...
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Or send us an e-mail to...
0:27:22 > 0:27:26Remember that the Rip-Off team is ready and waiting
0:27:26 > 0:27:29to investigate your stories.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34That's just about it from us for today, but you can find out more
0:27:34 > 0:27:37tips on how to cut the cost of your shopping on our website.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40The address, I really don't think you need reminding,
0:27:40 > 0:27:43but here it is anyway - it's...
0:27:45 > 0:27:48And of course, that's also the place to send us your own stories or
0:27:48 > 0:27:51questions about topics you'd like us to look into.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55By the way, not just food-related, but anything you spend your money on
0:27:55 > 0:27:58and we'll keep on investigating whether those promises
0:27:58 > 0:28:00and the prices really do stack up.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03And it's on that note that I'm afraid we have to leave it for now.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06Thanks to everyone who's helped us with our stories today
0:28:06 > 0:28:09and of course to you for joining us.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12We will see you again on Rip-Off Britain very soon,
0:28:12 > 0:28:14but in the meantime, from everyone on the team...
0:28:14 > 0:28:16- ALL:- Bye-bye.