0:00:02 > 0:00:06Britain's supermarket landscape has been turned on its head.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08Over the last few years,
0:00:08 > 0:00:12how and where we shop has changed beyond recognition.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18The discounters, Lidl and Aldi, are the rising stars.
0:00:18 > 0:00:19And the traditional supermarkets
0:00:19 > 0:00:21have had to raise their game to compete.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26We have more choice than ever before.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29And the days of loyalty to one store are gone.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32But what does this intense competition
0:00:32 > 0:00:34actually mean for the food in our trolleys?
0:00:37 > 0:00:39We're going behind the scenes
0:00:39 > 0:00:41with the country's leading supermarkets...
0:00:41 > 0:00:43Yeah!
0:00:43 > 0:00:47..to find out how they are using the latest technology and science
0:00:47 > 0:00:49to stay ahead of the competition...
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Shop!
0:00:51 > 0:00:54..and keep up with our rapidly changing demands.
0:00:56 > 0:01:01I'm Gregg Wallace. I've worked in the food industry ALL my life.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03I want to investigate the hidden ways
0:01:03 > 0:01:06supermarkets produce our everyday foods.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09And I'm Babita Sharma,
0:01:09 > 0:01:14a news journalist who grew up behind the counter of a corner shop.
0:01:14 > 0:01:19I want to know the tricks of the trade being used to win our cash.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25We're looking at the latest tactics in the supermarket wars.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28This time, it's the battle for convenience.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32The supermarkets are competing to make our lives easier.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34From delivering ready-to-eat fish in a flash...
0:01:34 > 0:01:38That looks like something out of Star Trek!
0:01:38 > 0:01:40..battling to bring us the easiest fruits...
0:01:40 > 0:01:43It is SO easy to peel.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46..taking on the hard work for us...
0:01:46 > 0:01:48All of these are for one dish?
0:01:48 > 0:01:50- Absolutely.- That looks ridiculous to me.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54..even looking into our minds to make shopping simpler.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Why do you need to read my subconscious?
0:01:56 > 0:01:58That's quite alarming.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00We're going to get the inside track
0:02:00 > 0:02:03on how the supermarkets bring us the food we buy.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06And what we find may change the way you shop.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20If there's one thing we all want, it's an easy life.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22When it comes to our food shopping,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25we now want food that's quicker, easier
0:02:25 > 0:02:27and more foolproof than ever before.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33From sarnies to salads, to spag bol in a box,
0:02:33 > 0:02:38our need for ease means we now spend more than £10 billion a year
0:02:38 > 0:02:40on pre-prepared convenience foods.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44So it's no surprise the supermarkets are fighting
0:02:44 > 0:02:48for a piece of this fast-growing market.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51But does easier always mean better?
0:02:51 > 0:02:54And what are we paying for all this convenience?
0:02:56 > 0:03:00As the supermarkets battle to win the convenience war,
0:03:00 > 0:03:04there is one market everybody wants a slice of.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08It's the undisputed king of convenience food,
0:03:08 > 0:03:11worth over £3 billion a year.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Maybe it's the fact that we are all so busy
0:03:14 > 0:03:15that's led to the rise of these,
0:03:15 > 0:03:17the ready meal, but do you know,
0:03:17 > 0:03:21we buy 3.5 million ready meals every single day?
0:03:23 > 0:03:24To compete for our cash,
0:03:24 > 0:03:28the supermarkets launch hundreds of new ready meals every year.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33But to stand out in a crowded market,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36their new meals have to grab our attention,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39so they often take inspiration from the high street.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44The hottest trend right now is Mexican,
0:03:44 > 0:03:50with the number of restaurants up by a whopping 70% on last year alone.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Now, whether it's tiny burrito bars or national chains,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56we are riding a culinary Mexican wave.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00But can you turn this high-street hit
0:04:00 > 0:04:02into a mass-produced meal in a box?
0:04:05 > 0:04:07Already on the shelves are a chicken enchilada
0:04:07 > 0:04:09and a beef burrito from Sainsbury's.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13M&S have a chilli con carne...
0:04:14 > 0:04:18..while Morrisons have brought out a smoky pulled pork.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21But one supermarket thinks the way to get ahead
0:04:21 > 0:04:23in the great Mexican race
0:04:23 > 0:04:25is to try something a little more unusual.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27- Paul.- Gregg, nice to meet you.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31I've come to the Co-op's development kitchen in Manchester,
0:04:31 > 0:04:35where product developer Paul Dempsey and innovation chef Ben Warran
0:04:35 > 0:04:40want to tickle our taste buds with more complicated Mexican.
0:04:40 > 0:04:45Most people consider Mexican to be tacos and burritos.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Is that not what you're aiming at?
0:04:47 > 0:04:49This is really aimed at a different customer,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52ones that will be trying the more authentic dishes
0:04:52 > 0:04:54that we are trying to recreate in the kitchens.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58Ben and Paul's three new dishes have far less familiar names.
0:04:58 > 0:05:03A tinga, a habanero and a chicken mole.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05But it won't be an easy ride.
0:05:05 > 0:05:10Creating this kind of authentic Mexican is a complicated business.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12All of these are for one dish?
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Absolutely. They're for our chicken mole.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16Mexican food is all about complexity.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18Are you kidding me?
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Forgive me, I know you're doing your jobs, but with all respect,
0:05:21 > 0:05:23that looks ridiculous to me.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25It's not just your kind of bland, one-flavour,
0:05:25 > 0:05:26one-dimensional cuisine.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30It's salty, sour, it's sweet, there's some bitterness in there.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35It's a big challenge, but then Ben and Paul have a lot to prove.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Ready meals is one area where the Co-op underperform
0:05:38 > 0:05:41against their market share.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45Getting this right could score them big points in the convenience war,
0:05:45 > 0:05:49and a bigger slice of that £3 billion ready-meal market.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55And they ARE trying to save us from some very tricky cooking.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58You know I could do this now, right, you just...
0:05:58 > 0:06:01Listen, you put it in a pan, right, heat them all up.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Not at all. It's all about the order
0:06:03 > 0:06:04the ingredients go into the pan.
0:06:08 > 0:06:13Creating Ben's mole requires precision timing.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Different spices work in different ways.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18So the ones that are really powerful,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20we want to get them into the base layer of the dish.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22Spices in, big hitters first.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24- Yep.- Now what?
0:06:24 > 0:06:26Now we're going to go on to these nice floral spices.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32- You've got chocolate here.- Yep.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Right, in it goes.
0:06:35 > 0:06:36Last one.
0:06:38 > 0:06:39Time to see if it's paid off.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Ha. Ha-ha-ha-ha.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50It has the smokiness, it has the chocolatiness,
0:06:50 > 0:06:52and it has layers of sweetness.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Yeah, absolutely. I think the sweetness is really noticeable.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56It's all that time spent cooking the ingredients.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58All right, you may look a little bit odd,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01- but you know what you're talking about.- Thanks.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06Across the supermarkets, ready-meal standards are high.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08A recent study showed that two-thirds of us think
0:07:08 > 0:07:10that they now taste
0:07:10 > 0:07:14as good or better than takeaways.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16So, will the Co-op's Mexican range
0:07:16 > 0:07:20be good enough to make us try something different?
0:07:20 > 0:07:22I'm beginning to realise just how risky this is,
0:07:22 > 0:07:26because you're launching a product that most people may not recognise.
0:07:26 > 0:07:27It is a bit risky.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30Everybody knows what chilli is,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33and there probably aren't that many people that know what a mole is.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35But I think when people taste it,
0:07:35 > 0:07:37I think they'll absolutely love it like we do.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Mexican may be hot stuff on the high street,
0:07:42 > 0:07:46but our top three favourite ready meals are still very traditional.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49British, Italian and Indian.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53So will we buy Mexican if it's not the burritos and chillis
0:07:53 > 0:07:55we know and love?
0:07:55 > 0:07:57And will the Co-op scoop a bigger piece
0:07:57 > 0:08:00of the £3 billion ready-meal market?
0:08:00 > 0:08:03I'll be back later to find out.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13Our soaring demand for ever easier food
0:08:13 > 0:08:17has penetrated every aisle of the supermarket.
0:08:17 > 0:08:18Even some we wouldn't expect.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22You might think that the convenience food market
0:08:22 > 0:08:26is all about making things ever more processed and manufactured.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28But that's not always the case.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30I'm on the trail of a product
0:08:30 > 0:08:34that's been one of the biggest convenience hits in recent years.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37And there's not a single factory in sight.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44This orchard in Southern Spain
0:08:44 > 0:08:47is growing one of Britain's favourite fruits.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49The easy peeler.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52While the traditional orange is in decline,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55sales of this little citrus are soaring,
0:08:55 > 0:08:58up almost 30% in three years.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01We probably don't give it a second thought,
0:09:01 > 0:09:05but creating this fruit takes real agricultural wizardry.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10An easy peeler is any small, easy-to-eat citrus fruit,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13like a tangerine, clementine or a Satsuma.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15They've become so popular,
0:09:15 > 0:09:19they now make up more than half of all the citrus we eat -
0:09:19 > 0:09:22almost £500 million worth a year.
0:09:22 > 0:09:27So getting them right is big business for the supermarkets.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30It's harvest time, and David Northcroft,
0:09:30 > 0:09:33fresh produce developer from Waitrose,
0:09:33 > 0:09:36is here to check on his latest crop.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41So how big are easy peelers for Waitrose?
0:09:41 > 0:09:44So last year alone, we sold £30 million worth of these.
0:09:44 > 0:09:4730 million? So clearly, we're loving them.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49So why are they so popular in Britain?
0:09:49 > 0:09:52People don't want to be peeling oranges nowadays.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54It's about convenience.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56The different types of easy peeler
0:09:56 > 0:09:59can have very different strengths and weaknesses,
0:09:59 > 0:10:03as Dave is going to show me, with three of our favourite varieties.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09First up, the traditional Satsuma.
0:10:09 > 0:10:10This is what I'm used to,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13and it is SO easy to peel.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15But the taste for you, not so good?
0:10:15 > 0:10:17It's sort of mild sweet.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19Next, it's the mandarin.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22Mandarin, beautiful colour here.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24I like the balance of flavour in this,
0:10:24 > 0:10:25but it can have seeds.
0:10:25 > 0:10:30And it seems we don't want seeds in our easy-to-eat fruit.
0:10:30 > 0:10:31Finally, the tangerine.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33It's really hard to get into.
0:10:33 > 0:10:34I can't even get into it.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36You're going to have to help me out here, David.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Come on. Let's have a go.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40This one's more like the not-so-easy peeler.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42But there's a big upside.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46When you get into it, you have got this great richness of flavour.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48- Wow!- Real depth of flavour there, isn't there?
0:10:48 > 0:10:49That is incredible!
0:10:51 > 0:10:53All these varieties have their good points,
0:10:53 > 0:10:58but as shoppers, we now want food that's tastier and easier.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02What if we could get that great flavour
0:11:02 > 0:11:04in a variety that was seedless
0:11:04 > 0:11:07and as easy to peel as a Satsuma?
0:11:07 > 0:11:10So, what? The best that all of these three can give us in one?
0:11:10 > 0:11:11Exactly.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14To get ahead of their rivals,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17the supermarkets are constantly looking for a new variety
0:11:17 > 0:11:20that ticks all the boxes.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23So David's Spanish suppliers run a breeding centre,
0:11:23 > 0:11:27dedicated to trying to create the ultimate easy peeler.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30It looks amazing in here.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32It's so impressive, isn't it?
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Charo Marin is chief fruit breeder.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37So what's happening here?
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Well, this is a mother tree.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42This is where we do the pollination
0:11:42 > 0:11:45and we create new children, new varieties.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50To create new varieties,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54Charo takes pollen from a plant that has something she wants,
0:11:54 > 0:11:56like great flavour or no seeds,
0:11:56 > 0:12:02and transfers it to the flower of a plant that has easy-to-peel fruit.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Once you pollinate the flower,
0:12:04 > 0:12:08the ovary will grow and will give you a new fruit
0:12:08 > 0:12:10and the mandarin will give you those seeds.
0:12:12 > 0:12:13So each seed...
0:12:14 > 0:12:16..is a new variety.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21But to see the new varieties come to fruition is a painstaking process.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25So how long before you get to the point where it is fully grown?
0:12:25 > 0:12:27Around eight years.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Eight years!
0:12:29 > 0:12:32It takes a long time, doesn't it?
0:12:32 > 0:12:35Even then, there's only a one-in-a-thousand chance
0:12:35 > 0:12:39that the new fruit will have all the traits that they want.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42So Charo plants thousands of them.
0:12:42 > 0:12:43It's a bit like a lottery.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45It is. We are looking for a needle in a haystack.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52In the last five years,
0:12:52 > 0:12:57M&S, Tesco and the Co-op have all launched new varieties,
0:12:57 > 0:13:02but David thinks he's found something to rival them all.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04This is the first time anyone has seen it.
0:13:04 > 0:13:05Never been seen before.
0:13:05 > 0:13:06Never been seen before.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09I get the exclusive preview of this.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13So what we've got here is easy to peel.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17It's seedless, it's got that rich flavour of the tangerine.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19- Shall we take a look inside? - Love to.
0:13:19 > 0:13:20This is the moment of truth.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Oh, my gosh. It looks like perfection.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29This is the Holy Grail,
0:13:29 > 0:13:31to have something that is naturally seedless,
0:13:31 > 0:13:33and we're going to have that depth of flavour.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35A seedless mandarin.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39It's not the way nature intended it to be, though.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Can you remember where grapes were, maybe five, ten years ago?
0:13:42 > 0:13:46We bought grapes, they always had seeds in them.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49Now, virtually all the grapes we eat in the UK are seedless.
0:13:49 > 0:13:54We've been doing this for nearly ten years to get to this point.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56So, you know, we're really hopeful
0:13:56 > 0:13:58that this is going to be a great variety for the future.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05If they're successful in scaling up production of the super mandarin,
0:14:05 > 0:14:07then in a couple of years,
0:14:07 > 0:14:11you should be seeing it in your supermarket.
0:14:11 > 0:14:16I can't quite believe how much work goes into creating the easy peeler.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18It's something that we take for granted.
0:14:18 > 0:14:19I know that I do, but it's no surprise
0:14:19 > 0:14:23it's one of the biggest-selling products on the supermarket shelf.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32We've become a time-poor nation,
0:14:32 > 0:14:34and nowhere more so than with our evening meal.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40The time we spend cooking dinner has halved in the last 20 years.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44What we want is convenience
0:14:44 > 0:14:47so the supermarkets know that we can be put off
0:14:47 > 0:14:49by any food that looks like hard work.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56One food with a tricky reputation is fish.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59We used to have to buy a whole fish where we'd have to scale it, gut it,
0:14:59 > 0:15:02bone it and cut it into portions ourselves.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04These days, all the work's done,
0:15:04 > 0:15:06and it comes conveniently in packets,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09in fillets ready to go.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11But could they make it even MORE convenient?
0:15:14 > 0:15:18Fish is a fierce battleground in the supermarket wars.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20In the last year,
0:15:20 > 0:15:25discounters Aldi and Lidl have seen their fish sales rise more than 20%.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Meanwhile, the Big Four supermarkets are floundering
0:15:28 > 0:15:31with sales down across-the-board.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37So Sainsbury's have a plan to deliver fish
0:15:37 > 0:15:39that's easier than ever.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43Their technical manager for fish, Alison Anderson, is in Fife,
0:15:43 > 0:15:45checking in on their latest innovation.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Alison, what comes through here in this depot?
0:15:52 > 0:15:55So it's just salmon coming in here, about 6 million fish a year.
0:15:55 > 0:15:576 million?
0:15:57 > 0:15:586 million.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02We eat a whopping 60 million kilos of salmon a year,
0:16:02 > 0:16:07and last year, it overtook tuna to become Britain's favourite fish.
0:16:07 > 0:16:12- Shall I kiss him? - And it's turned into a Gregg!
0:16:13 > 0:16:16Ha-ha-ha-ha!
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Creating Alison's easy-to-eat fish
0:16:19 > 0:16:21starts with the cutting-edge technology
0:16:21 > 0:16:25needed to fillet 16,000 salmon a day,
0:16:25 > 0:16:29all overseen by the factory's head of development, Robin Brown.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32This guy, here, he's feeding the fish into the filleter.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39That is cutting that fish into two perfect fillets?
0:16:39 > 0:16:41- Yeah.- Every time?- Every time.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44It takes about two and a half seconds to fillet one fish.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46That is incredible.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48Most chefs wouldn't be able to get it that close.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53They've even got a machine to take the tiny pin bones out.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56I can see there is like a metal cart over there,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59and that must be making all the bones stick up.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01It's catching them and pulling them up.
0:17:01 > 0:17:02Yeah.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07But it doesn't get them all.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09There's nothing like the human eye and the human touch. Right?
0:17:09 > 0:17:11- May I?- Yeah, of course.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13Because I'm not bad with a bit of fish.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Leave the difficult ones for me, OK?
0:17:16 > 0:17:21- Stand back.- If you just go in, just lightly, like that.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26- Is there more in there?- Yep.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Yeah.
0:17:31 > 0:17:32Get in there!
0:17:32 > 0:17:34You don't pull them out, you rip it out.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37We try to do minimal damage to the fish.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Bit late now, mate. They've cut its head off.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46To try and ensure her easy salmon
0:17:46 > 0:17:49will be a step ahead of the competition,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Alison's got a brand-new trick up her sleeve.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54We are brine injecting.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56So we are adding flavour into the fish.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59And you can see you've got the needles coming down,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02then injecting the brine, the flavouring, into the fish.
0:18:02 > 0:18:03What flavour?
0:18:03 > 0:18:05There is a lemon and herb going in there.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07Lemon and herb goes well with salmon,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10and some customers don't like fishy flavours,
0:18:10 > 0:18:11so, again, it enhances
0:18:11 > 0:18:15and takes some of that fear factor away from people.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17You are putting flavours in there that maybe aren't fish
0:18:17 > 0:18:20- because people don't like fish? - Exactly.
0:18:20 > 0:18:21Are you...? Really?!
0:18:22 > 0:18:24I think that's weird. I really do.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30The salmon is ready to portion up.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34Time to meet their newest and smartest machine.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37That looks like something out of Star Trek.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39It scans every individual fillet.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41Using a laser,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43it measures the thickness, it measures the length,
0:18:43 > 0:18:45and it calculates the weight of the fish
0:18:45 > 0:18:47and how many portions to cut from it.
0:18:47 > 0:18:48And it gets it right?
0:18:48 > 0:18:51It gets it right. Very accurate.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56This machine is capable of cutting 120 portions a minute.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59120 perfectly-cut portions a minute!
0:19:00 > 0:19:04After a quick dusting with herbs, the salmon is sent for packaging,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07and it's still less than five minutes
0:19:07 > 0:19:10since the fish arrived whole into the depot.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13Well, so far so good.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16We've gone from a whole head and fins on salmon
0:19:16 > 0:19:20to perfectly cut boneless fillets
0:19:20 > 0:19:23pumped full of lemon and herb flavour in a matter of minutes.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27Now these guys have got their eyes on a new piece of technical wizardry
0:19:27 > 0:19:31that's going to make fish eating even easier.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34So we're running a trial on a new packaging format.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37This is going to revolutionise the way we cook and eat fish.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39And what is that?
0:19:39 > 0:19:40This is microwaveable packaging,
0:19:40 > 0:19:44so the fish in the pack is ready to go in the microwave.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47So you put flavour in that fish,
0:19:47 > 0:19:49and I can take it off the shelf in the packet,
0:19:49 > 0:19:51put it in the microwave in the packet?
0:19:51 > 0:19:53- Yep.- Can I take one of these?
0:19:53 > 0:19:57So innovative is this packaging, it opens on its own.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00How long, three minutes?
0:20:00 > 0:20:01Three minutes.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04The microwave is creating steam and heat,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07and the steam puffs up the packaging,
0:20:07 > 0:20:09and when it gets to a certain temperature,
0:20:09 > 0:20:10the packaging will release,
0:20:10 > 0:20:13and it'll let the steam out rather than it build up too much pressure.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16So the packaging will balloon up, and at some stage,
0:20:16 > 0:20:20the end of the seal comes away from the packet and lets the steam out?
0:20:20 > 0:20:21- Yeah.- Is that right?
0:20:21 > 0:20:22- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25It is puffing up.
0:20:25 > 0:20:26Mate, I'll tell you what.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28THAT is clever.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37Mm.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42Personally, I would cook it a little bit less.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44However, for most people,
0:20:44 > 0:20:48I would suspect that is a perfectly, perfectly good fish
0:20:48 > 0:20:53with a hint of citrus and a hint of herb.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55And that took, what...? Three minutes?
0:20:55 > 0:20:56Three minutes.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Mate, that, I have to admit, is very clever.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03And it may even be better for you.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06Studies suggest that microwaving
0:21:06 > 0:21:08preserves more of the nutrients in fish
0:21:08 > 0:21:11than frying or baking.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13You know, in a way, I'm a little bit sad
0:21:13 > 0:21:16that you have to go to all that effort to make us eat fish,
0:21:16 > 0:21:20but if that's what it takes to put fish on the menu, so be it.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26In an age where everyone's always in a rush,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29there's one great British classic that's suffering.
0:21:31 > 0:21:32If there's one meal
0:21:32 > 0:21:35that takes a couple of hours to put together, it is this.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37A joint of roast meat.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40It's not something that you can whip up in a hurry.
0:21:40 > 0:21:41And I have to say, if I'm honest,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44it's rare that I get the chance to do a meal like this.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48And I'm not alone.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52We're 25% less likely to roast a joint of meat today
0:21:52 > 0:21:54than 20 years ago.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01Never one to miss a trick,
0:22:01 > 0:22:03the supermarkets and their suppliers
0:22:03 > 0:22:06are putting in the hours on our behalf
0:22:06 > 0:22:08to try to give us roast
0:22:08 > 0:22:10in a fraction of the time it takes us to cook it at home.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16Easy roasts are part of a supermarket revolution
0:22:16 > 0:22:18known as ready-to-cook.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22Halfway between a ready meal and cooking from scratch,
0:22:22 > 0:22:26this is the fastest-rising category in convenience food,
0:22:26 > 0:22:28already worth half a billion pounds a year.
0:22:29 > 0:22:34Waitrose have an easy-to-cook collection of meats and fish.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37Sainsbury's call their range Just Cook.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41But the undisputed top dogs of ready-to-cook,
0:22:41 > 0:22:42with 29% of the market,
0:22:42 > 0:22:44are Marks & Spencer.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Ollie Redmond is the M&S technical manager for meat.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53He's visiting his suppliers near Glasgow
0:22:53 > 0:22:55to check on a new Moroccan lamb roast
0:22:55 > 0:22:59that you can cook in just over half an hour.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02He's been working on it for nine months,
0:23:02 > 0:23:05with Scotbeef's product developer Alison Galloway.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07And today, he's hoping to sign it off.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09Good morning, Alison.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11- Good morning.- How are you doing? - Good morning.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13Today, we are butchering the lamb
0:23:13 > 0:23:16for our first trial on the Moroccan lamb shoulder.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19So this is what we end up with.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21It's a lot smaller than what I thought it would be
0:23:21 > 0:23:23for a roasting joint.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27280 to 300 grams was the perfect portion size for two.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30Straight away, they are thinking about convenience.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Not everybody wants a full roast,
0:23:33 > 0:23:38and 63% of British households now have just one or two people.
0:23:39 > 0:23:44The next stage is to coat the meat in a blend of spices to add flavour.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46It smells amazing.
0:23:48 > 0:23:53But the biggest challenge in bringing us a 35-minute roast
0:23:53 > 0:23:56is to stop it drying out when they precook the meat.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02The challenge is to retain as much moisture
0:24:02 > 0:24:04within the meat during cooking.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08Lamb typically contains about 70% water.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14That sounds like a lot, but if it's cooked too fast,
0:24:14 > 0:24:15the meat can easily dry out.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19So they use an innovative cooking method.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24I can't see an oven anywhere.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27No. So this is the sous-vide part of the process.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Sous-vide means "under vacuum" in French.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35It involves vacuum-sealing food and cooking it with water or steam.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39This little pouch allows the meat to cook within its own juices,
0:24:39 > 0:24:42retaining the moisture and succulence.
0:24:42 > 0:24:43Do you know, when you look at it,
0:24:43 > 0:24:45to me, it's like boil-in-the-bag stuff.
0:24:46 > 0:24:51- It is, isn't it?- It is much more tightly controlled than that.
0:24:51 > 0:24:52You'll see that the technology that we use
0:24:52 > 0:24:55to get the precise cook we are looking for,
0:24:55 > 0:24:59you just couldn't get that with a boil-in-the-bag product.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02To cook sous-vide on an industrial scale
0:25:02 > 0:25:04requires some serious equipment.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12- So here we are.- Oh! Wow!
0:25:12 > 0:25:13Gosh, they are huge, aren't they?
0:25:13 > 0:25:16- Yes, massive.- They look like huge silver bullets.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21It's simply a giant, sophisticated pressure cooker
0:25:21 > 0:25:24where we can precisely control the temperature
0:25:24 > 0:25:25that we are applying to the meat.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Should we get it cooking?
0:25:27 > 0:25:29- Let's get it cooking. - Let's get it started.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35Lamb shoulder is a cheaper cut and can be tough.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41The lamb shoulder, it does a lot of work,
0:25:41 > 0:25:43so there's a lot of structure in there to support the muscles
0:25:43 > 0:25:46and then that structure is what we call collagen.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50Collagen is a stringy protein which makes meat chewy.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52When cooked for a long time,
0:25:52 > 0:25:57the collagen breaks down and turns into a more edible gelatine jelly.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59That takes time and a certain temperature,
0:25:59 > 0:26:01and this allows us to precisely control
0:26:01 > 0:26:04that conversion of the collagen into gelatine.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06- So if it wasn't precise...- Yeah.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08..the taste would be completely different.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11If you undercook the meat or cooked it too quickly,
0:26:11 > 0:26:13then the fat would not render down,
0:26:13 > 0:26:15the collagen wouldn't turn to gelatine.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17It would end up being tough and chewy.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21The lamb spends three hours in the pressure cooker.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24Alison thinks that by cooking with sous-vide,
0:26:24 > 0:26:25they can create a dish
0:26:25 > 0:26:29that's not just quicker for us than a normal roast,
0:26:29 > 0:26:30but also more tender.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33And she's got a way to try and prove it.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39What we have here, Babita, is samples of our lamb shoulder,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42one that we've roasted, and one that we've sous-vided.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44It looks completely different.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46It certainly does.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50The roast lamb, the muscles contract under the high heat,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52squeezing out that moisture.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55With the sous-vide, the moisture's retained within the lamb.
0:26:55 > 0:27:00The oven-cooked lamb certainly looks tougher than the sous-vide lamb,
0:27:00 > 0:27:03but Alison has a machine that can actually measure their tenderness.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08So that is mimicking my mouth.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11It's mimicking the pressure required to eat through the meat.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13So like an automated jaw.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16The more pressure required, the tougher the meat.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18OK, so are we going to test the roast one first?
0:27:18 > 0:27:19Roast one first.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26It's like a guillotine.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30Comes down, measures the force required
0:27:30 > 0:27:32to bite through the meat fibres.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34In this case 73.96.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36So with the sous-vide we're going to try now,
0:27:36 > 0:27:38we're looking for a much lower number?
0:27:38 > 0:27:40We're looking for a lower number.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42Less pressure to bite the meat.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49- Are you nervous?- Not at all.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51Confident in your product.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59- Gosh! You should be.- 11.15.
0:27:59 > 0:28:0111.15!
0:28:01 > 0:28:03That is a massive difference between the two.
0:28:03 > 0:28:04It's a huge difference. Yes.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06That's melt-in-your-mouth kind of stuff.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08That's melt-in-the-mouth tender. Yes.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14To be honest, I didn't think all that preparation time
0:28:14 > 0:28:17to perfect this sous-vide would actually make a difference,
0:28:17 > 0:28:21but when you see the roast next to the sous-vide version,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24you really do get a sense that it is fundamentally different.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28The tasting moments.
0:28:28 > 0:28:29So here we are.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33It's passed the machine test.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37But will it taste good enough to get on the shelves at M&S?
0:28:37 > 0:28:41Well, after just 35 minutes of cooking in a normal oven,
0:28:41 > 0:28:43it's time to find out.
0:28:43 > 0:28:44Are you pleased with it, Olly?
0:28:44 > 0:28:47The smokiness is still there, but it's not overpowering.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50Just a little bit of chilli heat, but it's not too much.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52I think we're there.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55- Fantastic!- Relieved!
0:28:55 > 0:28:57- Are you pleased?- Very relieved.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59It takes so long to create this.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02It looks like it's a pretty expensive process.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04Are we going to have to foot the bill of that?
0:29:04 > 0:29:08Well, this is going to be on the shelf at £5.50 for a pack,
0:29:08 > 0:29:11which we believe, given the amount of work that goes in,
0:29:11 > 0:29:12is great value.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15That's around double the cost it would be
0:29:15 > 0:29:18for the same piece of lamb with no preparation or precooking.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22So, while I'm convinced that Olly's lamb
0:29:22 > 0:29:26is more convenient than doing the work myself,
0:29:26 > 0:29:29there's no doubt that convenience costs.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40One of the most obvious signs that convenience is taking over
0:29:40 > 0:29:43is the big increase in convenience stores.
0:29:45 > 0:29:51Small high-street style supermarkets are popping up all over the place.
0:29:51 > 0:29:55Sometimes you can have four or five in the same high street.
0:29:56 > 0:30:02A convenience store is any grocery shop that's under 280 square metres,
0:30:02 > 0:30:05but still stocks a certain number of core products
0:30:05 > 0:30:08like booze, bread and bananas.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10Over the last five years,
0:30:10 > 0:30:15the big brands have opened up more than 1,300 convenience stores.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19That's over half of all their new stores across the country.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23So, why do we want them?
0:30:23 > 0:30:25And how do the supermarkets know
0:30:25 > 0:30:28where a new store will make the most cash?
0:30:28 > 0:30:33I've come to CACI, a company of data experts,
0:30:33 > 0:30:36who tell the supermarkets where to open new branches.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40There's a very exact science
0:30:40 > 0:30:43to determine where any new supermarket should go.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46You get it right and the customers will come flocking in.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49Get it wrong, and it could cost a lot of money.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56Louise is head of grocery and convenience.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00It's her job to track the rise and fall of supermarkets
0:31:00 > 0:31:02across the country.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06The blue shows where there's been an increase in the market share
0:31:06 > 0:31:09that the convenience stores are taking from the market.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11The darker the blue, the greater that increase in market share.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14For convenience, in most parts of the country,
0:31:14 > 0:31:15there's been an increase.
0:31:15 > 0:31:20More than a fifth of our groceries are bought in convenience stores.
0:31:20 > 0:31:24That's an increase of more than 50% from ten years ago.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26Why has this come about?
0:31:26 > 0:31:29People are less planned with their shopping,
0:31:29 > 0:31:31so they're not writing a big shopping list
0:31:31 > 0:31:32and going there once a week.
0:31:32 > 0:31:33Lifestyles are getting busier
0:31:33 > 0:31:36and that's where convenience really fills a gap.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41But to cash in on convenience,
0:31:41 > 0:31:45the stores have to be in spots where the right customers will use them.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48And the key to that is knowing who lives where.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52By using sources like the Land Registry,
0:31:52 > 0:31:56the Government's benefits database, and customer surveys,
0:31:56 > 0:32:00Louise's team gather in-depth information on potential customers
0:32:00 > 0:32:02in any area.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06Things like just how likely they are to own their own property,
0:32:06 > 0:32:08and what their income levels are.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11How much sort of disposal income they might have.
0:32:11 > 0:32:16Each postcode is broken down into 17 different groups,
0:32:16 > 0:32:18from lavish lifestyles,
0:32:18 > 0:32:20to comfortable seniors,
0:32:20 > 0:32:22to struggling estates.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26Got a lot of these dark purples, which are city sophisticates.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29Generally they'll be on much higher incomes.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31Very, I guess, cash-rich and time-poor.
0:32:31 > 0:32:32They actually want to cook,
0:32:32 > 0:32:35but maybe don't feel like they've got the time to sort of
0:32:35 > 0:32:37buy the ingredients for it.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40- They want to almost cook. - They want to almost cook.
0:32:40 > 0:32:44We've got a lot of these blue dots which are struggling estates.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47- How do they shop? - They're very, very price conscious.
0:32:47 > 0:32:48Less likely to cook from scratch.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50They want convenience food.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53They're more likely to buy daily
0:32:53 > 0:32:56and they've got just the money that they've got.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00This information helps the supermarkets make crucial decisions
0:33:00 > 0:33:02about where to put their stores,
0:33:02 > 0:33:05based on who their customers will be.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07You can see Sainsbury's there, for example,
0:33:07 > 0:33:10has got a lot more city sophisticates and career climbers
0:33:10 > 0:33:13in its catchment than the Co-op there,
0:33:13 > 0:33:16which has got a lot more struggling estates.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19You can tell virtually how much they're earning,
0:33:19 > 0:33:22how much they're spending, what they're spending it on?
0:33:22 > 0:33:25It's about having the right store,
0:33:25 > 0:33:28and making sure that what you're putting in the store
0:33:28 > 0:33:30is right for that group.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32George Orwell would not be surprised!
0:33:36 > 0:33:38This precision targeting
0:33:38 > 0:33:42should bring the right store for your needs into your neighbourhood.
0:33:44 > 0:33:45But watch out -
0:33:45 > 0:33:49they may make life easier, but these small high-street branches
0:33:49 > 0:33:51tend to have higher rents and running costs,
0:33:51 > 0:33:56so buying your groceries in one could cost you up to 10% more.
0:34:05 > 0:34:10On average, we each spend 45 minutes a week buying groceries.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13Over a lifetime of shopping, that's around four months
0:34:13 > 0:34:17every single one of us spends in a supermarket.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20And yet most of us just aren't very good at it.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24We've all been there, wandering up and down the aisles,
0:34:24 > 0:34:27trying to find that tinned tuna, or being on one side of the store,
0:34:27 > 0:34:29realising that you've forgotten something
0:34:29 > 0:34:32and then you have to go right back to the front to find it,
0:34:32 > 0:34:36and why do they keep moving the pasta aisle?
0:34:36 > 0:34:38But what if there was an easier way?
0:34:40 > 0:34:43SHE GROANS
0:34:43 > 0:34:47I've come to the Cotswolds, where local entrepreneur Will Broom
0:34:47 > 0:34:50has been working on a plan to help us find our way around.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53I was navigating the supermarket, not knowing where anything was
0:34:53 > 0:34:55and finding it really frustrating,
0:34:55 > 0:34:57and I noticed everyone was doing the same thing,
0:34:57 > 0:35:00so I thought, wouldn't it be cool if the shopping list was magic
0:35:00 > 0:35:03and you walked in the store and it immediately snapped into order
0:35:03 > 0:35:05and guided you round the store in aisle order,
0:35:05 > 0:35:07showed you where everything was and enabled you to have a much,
0:35:07 > 0:35:11much faster, more stress-free experience when you're shopping?
0:35:12 > 0:35:16Will's solution is a mobile phone app called Uber Market,
0:35:16 > 0:35:19that acts like a sat nav for your supermarket.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24It arranges your shopping list into the order of the aisles
0:35:24 > 0:35:27and tells you where to find each product.
0:35:27 > 0:35:32As you shop you scan items with your smartphone to speed up checkout.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35Will has developed a trial version of the app
0:35:35 > 0:35:37that works in his neighbourhood Budgens.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41So I'm putting it to the test with local couple Ben and Laura.
0:35:41 > 0:35:42What I've got is 12 shopping items
0:35:42 > 0:35:45that I want you to find in the supermarket.
0:35:45 > 0:35:4812 have been loaded onto a mobile phone, and the other 12
0:35:48 > 0:35:51are on a shopping list on the traditional piece of paper.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53I'll take the paper list.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55- I'll take technology. - OK, that was easy!
0:35:55 > 0:35:57- Feeling confident?- Yeah.- Yes.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59Shop!
0:36:05 > 0:36:07So, as Ben goes around the store,
0:36:07 > 0:36:09he's scanning the items that are showing up on his list.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12You hold the phone against it, and it will pick it up and scan it
0:36:12 > 0:36:15and cross it off his list, and on to the next item.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17OK, butter, aisle two, left.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19There it is.
0:36:19 > 0:36:20Right.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23As Ben shops, the app tells him the aisle number
0:36:23 > 0:36:24and location of each item.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30Oh, they're neck and neck, right behind each other.
0:36:30 > 0:36:31How's it going, Ben?
0:36:31 > 0:36:33Yes, all right. I'm getting through this quite quickly.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35Not that I want to put any pressure on,
0:36:35 > 0:36:37but Laura's got more in her trolley than you.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39Has she? Oh, no! She's ahead of me!
0:36:39 > 0:36:41- I'm just going to go and see how she's doing.- OK.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51- Some bagels.- Bagels, right. This section... You're here, I think.
0:36:51 > 0:36:53How do you think Ben's going to do?
0:36:53 > 0:36:55Hopefully not as good.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57Lose! Bagels!
0:36:59 > 0:37:02I get it, the convenience of it and speeding up the process,
0:37:02 > 0:37:04but I'm a real impulsive shopper.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07I like to go down the aisles, see the special offers,
0:37:07 > 0:37:10and see what's out there - how is that going to work for me?
0:37:10 > 0:37:12If something catches your eye that isn't on your list,
0:37:12 > 0:37:14or you change your mind,
0:37:14 > 0:37:16just pick up that item, scan it, it will add it to your list.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18- Ah!- Is it even here?
0:37:18 > 0:37:21It's... I don't know!
0:37:22 > 0:37:24They were hiding it!
0:37:24 > 0:37:25Go, go, go!
0:37:25 > 0:37:26Right. OK.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29Remember, it's fastest wins.
0:37:29 > 0:37:30Oh, no! Yes!
0:37:30 > 0:37:32OK, right.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34- All right, Ben, so... - Five left. Fabric conditioner.
0:37:35 > 0:37:39Yes! There it is. Right. Fabric conditioner.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42How much are you relying on the app or just looking at things?
0:37:42 > 0:37:44If I'm honest, I'm relying solely on the app.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47Well, the app, it seems to be working,
0:37:47 > 0:37:50but this is just one supermarket and one layout.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53My biggest bugbear is that shops are always moving things around.
0:37:53 > 0:37:58So I wonder how Will's app will cope when things get a bit more tricky.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04What happens if they move the baked beans from aisle 13 to seven?
0:38:04 > 0:38:06Everything about the app's in real time.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09If they move milk from aisle two, to aisle three, the app will change.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11The app talks to the store in real time at all times.
0:38:11 > 0:38:15The app connects to the store's real-time stock database,
0:38:15 > 0:38:19so it's always up-to-date with where things are and how much they cost.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22There it is! Right.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24Now, that's it, I think.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26Think. That's it.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28Laura and Ben are neck and neck.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30Laura's got them all!
0:38:30 > 0:38:32Ben's paying!
0:38:32 > 0:38:35But the app has a secret weapon.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37- Scanning...- Instant checkout.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40You're scanning the items directly?
0:38:40 > 0:38:42Yes. Checkout list has transferred successfully.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44- There we go.- That's £22.01.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46£22.01. OK.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48- Ben's winning!- And now I pay for it.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51- Still waiting.- Oh, Laura!
0:38:51 > 0:38:53I hate to break this to you.
0:38:53 > 0:38:57- I'm devastated. - But Ben has actually done it.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59He's all paid up and he's gone through.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01Look at that smug grin on his face!
0:39:01 > 0:39:02Thank you very much!
0:39:04 > 0:39:06Sigh of relief for you, Will!
0:39:06 > 0:39:09Little bit. I was pretty confident though, but that's great.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12So the app prevailed. So, how much will it cost me?
0:39:12 > 0:39:14So it's totally free to use.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16What do you get out of it? How much money do you make?
0:39:16 > 0:39:18That's a bit of a slow-burn thing,
0:39:18 > 0:39:21because what we're based on is a licence fee to store as you want it.
0:39:21 > 0:39:22So that's the idea.
0:39:22 > 0:39:26The app wasn't light years ahead of the old fashioned list,
0:39:26 > 0:39:28but it did win.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32And I can definitely see the benefit of scanning your items
0:39:32 > 0:39:33before you get to the till.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36Right now it's only available in this store,
0:39:36 > 0:39:40but it's being rolled out to thousands of supermarkets
0:39:40 > 0:39:41later this year.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51As the supermarkets find ever more innovative ways
0:39:51 > 0:39:54to make our food convenient, old favourites can get left behind.
0:39:56 > 0:40:01Take the potato. It was a convenience hit in years gone by,
0:40:01 > 0:40:03but it's falling out of favour.
0:40:03 > 0:40:08We're eating 25% fewer spuds than ten years ago,
0:40:08 > 0:40:12partly because they take so long to prepare.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14But there's another reason.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18I'm very fond of the humble spud. It's healthy and it's so versatile.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21But there can be a problem that we can't see.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23Look, it's perfect on the outside.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28But bruising on the inside.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30It's one of our most common complaints,
0:40:30 > 0:40:32and it can stop us buying potatoes,
0:40:32 > 0:40:36but how do you solve a problem that's invisible?
0:40:38 > 0:40:41One supermarket is going to great lengths
0:40:41 > 0:40:44to find a solution to bruised tatties.
0:40:44 > 0:40:48I'm in Lincoln, where Tesco's technical manager for potatoes,
0:40:48 > 0:40:51Rebecca Schofield, is overseeing the harvest
0:40:51 > 0:40:53with one of their biggest suppliers.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56Every potato in Tesco, you're in charge of?
0:40:56 > 0:40:58- Yes.- That's a mammoth job!
0:40:58 > 0:40:59Yes!
0:40:59 > 0:41:02Rebecca is responsible for delivering
0:41:02 > 0:41:06up to a billion British spuds a year.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10And that includes solving the bruising problem.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12Bruising is one of the top complaints we have from customers.
0:41:12 > 0:41:16It's not easy, is it, because you can't tell if your potato's bruised.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19No, and potatoes are surprisingly delicate as well.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21A bit like me. Looks rough and hardy,
0:41:21 > 0:41:24but actually it's quite fragile and bruises easily.
0:41:24 > 0:41:25Yes. Definitely!
0:41:27 > 0:41:30Rebecca has a nifty piece of technology
0:41:30 > 0:41:35that she thinks can bring us a perfect potato every time.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40This what we hope is going to solve our problems with bruising.
0:41:40 > 0:41:41That?!
0:41:41 > 0:41:44It's what we call an electronic potato.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48It's full of sensors which measure the acceleration and deceleration
0:41:48 > 0:41:51during this process, which helps identify any points
0:41:51 > 0:41:54which are causing bruising or damage to the potato.
0:41:54 > 0:41:55Yeah?
0:41:55 > 0:41:57I bet they make lousy chips.
0:42:00 > 0:42:05This electronic spud keeps a record of every bump and drop it encounters
0:42:05 > 0:42:09on its journey from the field to your shopping trolley.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11So, on this tablet, if you were to hit or drop it,
0:42:11 > 0:42:14- it would then register that point on here.- Seriously?- Yep.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18So, if you look at that, it shows you there where it impacted.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21- All right, can I have another go? - Yeah.- I'm having fun with this.
0:42:23 > 0:42:24I see.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26It actually works. Let me get this right,
0:42:26 > 0:42:30this is recording every time this drops or bangs?
0:42:30 > 0:42:33- Yes.- Which is exactly what is happening to the potatoes...
0:42:33 > 0:42:35- Yes.- When you get that information,
0:42:35 > 0:42:39- you can then reduce the distance of the drop.- Yes.- Genius.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44The high-tech tuber travels with the newly harvested spuds
0:42:44 > 0:42:48to the packing house, constantly gathering data on its journey.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50They're bouncing around all over the place!
0:42:50 > 0:42:52I can see why they'd get bruised!
0:42:56 > 0:42:58Inside the factory,
0:42:58 > 0:43:02the potatoes travel through hundreds of metres of washing,
0:43:02 > 0:43:04braiding and salting,
0:43:04 > 0:43:08all overseen by innovations director Vee Gururajan.
0:43:10 > 0:43:16Roughly how many drops will a potato do from here to a plastic bag?
0:43:16 > 0:43:20- Somewhere between 15 and 30 drop points in the whole process.- Wow!
0:43:20 > 0:43:23Since using the electronic spud,
0:43:23 > 0:43:27they've redesigned the conveyors to reduce the number of drops.
0:43:27 > 0:43:32But one of their biggest changes isn't exactly rocket science.
0:43:32 > 0:43:37We've now put some blue cushions that softens the drop.
0:43:37 > 0:43:41The drop is now cushioned, and it's reduced the impact, as you see here.
0:43:41 > 0:43:43Anything less than 150 is very good.
0:43:43 > 0:43:48This is 63.5, which means this potato is not going to get bruised.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51So, you put some blue cushions down there, that's all you did?
0:43:51 > 0:43:54And it really reduced the impact?
0:43:54 > 0:43:56It has significantly reduced the impact.
0:43:56 > 0:43:58- That was simple, wasn't it?- Yes!
0:43:58 > 0:44:02The electronic potato has reduced the bruising by around 30%,
0:44:02 > 0:44:06ensuring we get more usable spuds than ever before.
0:44:08 > 0:44:11But the ones that are damaged don't go to waste.
0:44:11 > 0:44:16Spuds that don't make it into bags are used to make chips or mash.
0:44:16 > 0:44:21And even the small percentage that are unfit to eat still have a job.
0:44:22 > 0:44:26If it's something like a rot or a mould, which we can't use,
0:44:26 > 0:44:28they will then go to our anaerobic digester,
0:44:28 > 0:44:30which is used to power the factory.
0:44:30 > 0:44:32- You're kidding me?- No.
0:44:32 > 0:44:35So, the anaerobic digester is a little bit like your stomach.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38You feed it, it breaks that food down, it produces gas,
0:44:38 > 0:44:40and that gas is then used to produce electricity,
0:44:40 > 0:44:42and that electricity powers the plant.
0:44:42 > 0:44:46This goes in a digester that farts and feeds the factory?
0:44:46 > 0:44:47Yeah.
0:44:47 > 0:44:52I'll never look at a simple bag of spuds the same way again, ever.
0:44:52 > 0:44:54Good!
0:45:00 > 0:45:02In the battle for convenience,
0:45:02 > 0:45:06intelligence is crucial to staying ahead of the competition.
0:45:06 > 0:45:10Supermarkets want to make our shop as pain-free as possible
0:45:10 > 0:45:11so that we'll keep coming back.
0:45:13 > 0:45:17They want to know why we buy with them over their competitors,
0:45:17 > 0:45:21and why we choose one particular product rather than another.
0:45:22 > 0:45:26And to find out, they've even started looking into our minds.
0:45:28 > 0:45:32Doctor Jane Leighton is a cognitive neuroscientist
0:45:32 > 0:45:34at market research company Nielsen.
0:45:34 > 0:45:38When supermarkets want to know how we'll respond to a new store layout,
0:45:38 > 0:45:42or different packaging, they turn to her.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46You might think you choose one product over another
0:45:46 > 0:45:48because it's better or cheaper,
0:45:48 > 0:45:51but what Jane tests is what your subconscious thinks.
0:45:52 > 0:45:56Many of our everyday decisions, such as what to buy,
0:45:56 > 0:45:59are driven by non-conscious, emotional processes,
0:45:59 > 0:46:02and that is what we have been able to measure.
0:46:02 > 0:46:06To get inside our heads, Jane uses some cutting-edge technology.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10Jane, what are you about to do to me?
0:46:10 > 0:46:11We are going to measure your conscious
0:46:11 > 0:46:13and non-conscious responses
0:46:13 > 0:46:14to some supermarket shelves.
0:46:14 > 0:46:16OK, and how are you going to do that?
0:46:16 > 0:46:18We're going to do it in two ways.
0:46:18 > 0:46:20We're going to have a look at your eye movements
0:46:20 > 0:46:21to see what captures your attention,
0:46:21 > 0:46:24and we're also going to measure your brain response.
0:46:26 > 0:46:29The eye movements tell her where I'm looking,
0:46:29 > 0:46:32but to read my reaction to what I'm seeing,
0:46:32 > 0:46:35she needs an electroencephalogram, or EEG cap.
0:46:37 > 0:46:38What that's able to do
0:46:38 > 0:46:40is capture the electrical activity
0:46:40 > 0:46:42that's on the surface of your brain.
0:46:42 > 0:46:45So that's essentially reading my brainwaves?
0:46:45 > 0:46:46Yeah.
0:46:48 > 0:46:50The EEG is measuring
0:46:50 > 0:46:53the split-second emotional responses my brain has
0:46:53 > 0:46:56to the world around it, that I'm not even aware of.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00So, I just need to sit here and do nothing.
0:47:00 > 0:47:04Yep, sit here, relax, and look at some pictures.
0:47:04 > 0:47:06Babita, can you hear me OK?
0:47:06 > 0:47:09- I can, Jane.- We're just going to start the study now.
0:47:09 > 0:47:10OK, I'm ready.
0:47:15 > 0:47:18The images I'm seeing are part of a bigger project,
0:47:18 > 0:47:22testing our responses to different types of packaging.
0:47:22 > 0:47:25It all just looks like shampoo to me,
0:47:25 > 0:47:28but when Jane combines the results of lots of people,
0:47:28 > 0:47:30a pattern emerges.
0:47:30 > 0:47:32When we look at a group of participants,
0:47:32 > 0:47:36we can have a look at which areas they focus on the most.
0:47:36 > 0:47:38This red part here indicates the areas
0:47:38 > 0:47:40where people spend the most time.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45The eye tracking tells her where we're looking,
0:47:45 > 0:47:48but it's the EEG readings that tell her why.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53So, the green areas with the high scores
0:47:53 > 0:47:56are areas that they are emotionally engaged with,
0:47:56 > 0:48:00and that means those are areas that people are drawn towards.
0:48:00 > 0:48:04So, the higher the score, the better they feel about that product?
0:48:04 > 0:48:07Exactly. So, in a supermarket, this is very important,
0:48:07 > 0:48:10because if you're drawn in to something,
0:48:10 > 0:48:13it means you're much more likely to pick it off the shelf and buy it.
0:48:13 > 0:48:15And in this case,
0:48:15 > 0:48:18Jane thinks it's the packaging design that's making a difference.
0:48:20 > 0:48:23So, if we were to test these two packs, for example,
0:48:23 > 0:48:24they're very similar.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27The main difference between them is that there is a lot more information
0:48:27 > 0:48:30on the one on the right than on the one on the left.
0:48:30 > 0:48:32Now, if you ask somebody what they want on a pack,
0:48:32 > 0:48:36very often, they will ask for more information, but actually,
0:48:36 > 0:48:39what we find when we test these kinds of images
0:48:39 > 0:48:43is that people are much more engaged with the simpler one.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46And that tells us that they're more likely to buy it.
0:48:46 > 0:48:50So, actually, what we think we want, we don't actually want at all.
0:48:50 > 0:48:52Sometimes what our conscious brain says we want
0:48:52 > 0:48:54is not the same as what our non-conscious brain wants.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57And that means that the results can be far more reliable
0:48:57 > 0:49:00than just asking customers what they want.
0:49:00 > 0:49:02Jane's research is already being used
0:49:02 > 0:49:05by at least one of the big British supermarkets,
0:49:05 > 0:49:08leading to changes in everything from store signs
0:49:08 > 0:49:10to the way they promote their products.
0:49:14 > 0:49:15The UK ready meal industry
0:49:15 > 0:49:19is the biggest battlefield in convenience foods,
0:49:19 > 0:49:22worth over £3 billion a year.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27It's been 12 months since the team from the Co-op
0:49:27 > 0:49:29started trying to grab a bigger slice of it,
0:49:29 > 0:49:31developing a new ready-meal range
0:49:31 > 0:49:34based on complicated Mexican cuisine.
0:49:35 > 0:49:37Well, they've ground a lot of spices
0:49:37 > 0:49:39and they've undoubtedly chopped a lot of chillies.
0:49:39 > 0:49:41They have got their Mexican ready-meal range.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44Now's the big test - can they scale it up?
0:49:44 > 0:49:46Can they reproduce hundreds of these dishes
0:49:46 > 0:49:48and make them taste as good as they did
0:49:48 > 0:49:50in the development kitchen?
0:49:52 > 0:49:55Today, product developer Paul is in Cambridgeshire
0:49:55 > 0:49:57for a trial run of one of his three dishes,
0:49:57 > 0:49:59the spicy chicken habanero.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03So, this is what we have been building up to for the past year,
0:50:03 > 0:50:04- essentially.- Seriously?
0:50:04 > 0:50:07Seriously. It's been a year in the making.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10If it goes right today, then great. If not, then...
0:50:10 > 0:50:12Well, back to the drawing board.
0:50:13 > 0:50:16Jane Reeve is the technical controller on site,
0:50:16 > 0:50:22and Paul's habanero is making her job even harder than usual.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24This is the protective equipment we have to wear
0:50:24 > 0:50:26to protect us from the hot chillies.
0:50:26 > 0:50:30I can't remember the last time I wore rubber gloves and goggles
0:50:30 > 0:50:31making a sauce.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33Right, what do you need?
0:50:33 > 0:50:34Vegetable oil, please.
0:50:36 > 0:50:38Onions next.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41Going into the sauce are 45 kilos of onion
0:50:41 > 0:50:44and over 12 kilos of chopped chilli.
0:50:44 > 0:50:48Now I see why I need the rubber gloves and goggles.
0:50:48 > 0:50:50I've got a cook's respect for chilli,
0:50:50 > 0:50:54and this much chilli actually makes me very nervous.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56The fumes from this are actually making my eyes water.
0:50:59 > 0:51:02That is Vesuvius.
0:51:02 > 0:51:04The complexity of the dish means
0:51:04 > 0:51:07every part of the process must be carefully monitored.
0:51:09 > 0:51:12Why can't you just hand over the recipe and say,
0:51:12 > 0:51:14"Do this, but make it bigger?"
0:51:14 > 0:51:17The scaling-up process is actually really a complex thing to do,
0:51:17 > 0:51:19because the timings will need adjusting.
0:51:19 > 0:51:2130 seconds here and there can actually have a big effect
0:51:21 > 0:51:23on the final dish.
0:51:26 > 0:51:30Just 90 minutes later, my volcanic sauce is ready.
0:51:34 > 0:51:36This is the sauce that you made!
0:51:36 > 0:51:38This is our sauce!
0:51:38 > 0:51:41It's being added to chicken and rice to complete the dish.
0:51:41 > 0:51:43MACHINE GROANS
0:51:43 > 0:51:45Sounds like it's groaning.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49Can you make that machine not groan like that?
0:51:49 > 0:51:50Bleurgh!
0:51:50 > 0:51:52MACHINE GROANS
0:51:52 > 0:51:54OK, that's it, right?
0:51:54 > 0:51:55That's the finished article?
0:51:57 > 0:51:59So, does it taste good enough
0:51:59 > 0:52:02to win them a slice of the lucrative convenience pie?
0:52:02 > 0:52:05Here it is. Here's your dish on a plate.
0:52:10 > 0:52:12I do like that sauce.
0:52:12 > 0:52:14I do. Starts fruity, goes salty, ends hot.
0:52:14 > 0:52:16I'm not convinced about the colour,
0:52:16 > 0:52:19and I'm not convinced about the citrus rice.
0:52:19 > 0:52:23The chicken is soft and moist, and your sauce is good.
0:52:23 > 0:52:24But for the pair of you,
0:52:24 > 0:52:26there's quite a bit resting on this, isn't there?
0:52:26 > 0:52:27It's a really important launch for us.
0:52:27 > 0:52:29It's been a huge amount of work.
0:52:29 > 0:52:32This is a realisation of a massive project for the site.
0:52:34 > 0:52:38Before Paul's ready meals can launch, there's one big final test -
0:52:38 > 0:52:43the taste panel, run by Taste Centre manager Lisa Connelly.
0:52:43 > 0:52:45Would you like a bag, Rachel?
0:52:45 > 0:52:47All right? Thank you.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49Her team aren't professional tasters or chefs.
0:52:51 > 0:52:55Every new food the Co-op produces is tested by their staff members...
0:52:55 > 0:52:57- Hello.- Hiya.- What's your name?
0:52:57 > 0:52:59..but that doesn't mean they'll go easy on it.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01Sometimes they're very honest.
0:53:01 > 0:53:03Which is quite challenging at times,
0:53:03 > 0:53:05because the developers have put their heart and soul
0:53:05 > 0:53:08into the development of it,
0:53:08 > 0:53:11but it's good, it is a robust way of doing things.
0:53:11 > 0:53:12Here you are, Zoe. Enjoy.
0:53:12 > 0:53:16- Hot habanero.- Thanks very much. See you.- Bye.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19I have no idea what a chicken tinga is,
0:53:19 > 0:53:21but I'm looking forward to trying it.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24We've got habanero hot one tonight.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30I don't really like sweetcorn,
0:53:30 > 0:53:34but I think the actual flavours and the texture go really well together.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37- That's got a kick.- It should say it's hot, though, on the packet.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39It probably should say it's hot.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41The testers score the flavour, texture
0:53:41 > 0:53:43and look of the dishes from one to nine.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46And it's all through an anonymous website,
0:53:46 > 0:53:48so they know they won't get in trouble with the boss
0:53:48 > 0:53:49for a bad score.
0:53:49 > 0:53:50Oh, gosh, that's spicy.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56But the habanero is proving too hot for some.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58I think I'm going to have to have some water here.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00I'm sweating cobs.
0:54:00 > 0:54:02THEY LAUGH
0:54:02 > 0:54:04- Are you done?- Yeah.
0:54:04 > 0:54:07- "What chilli rating do you think you should have?"- The top one.
0:54:07 > 0:54:10"If you had to come up with a name for this product,
0:54:10 > 0:54:11- "what would you call it?"- Magma.
0:54:13 > 0:54:16See, I told you it was Vesuvius.
0:54:18 > 0:54:22It's been an anxious week since the taste test panel tried Paul's meals,
0:54:22 > 0:54:24but today the results are in.
0:54:25 > 0:54:29It's a really important score because, actually,
0:54:29 > 0:54:32the pass-fail means our products might not launch.
0:54:34 > 0:54:35Right.
0:54:36 > 0:54:40Actually, it's really good, which I'm very happy about.
0:54:40 > 0:54:41Out of the three lines...
0:54:43 > 0:54:46..all three have passed, which is really good news.
0:54:46 > 0:54:49A couple of them have scored really, really well, actually.
0:54:49 > 0:54:527.3 for two of them.
0:54:52 > 0:54:56But the spicy habanero has only just scraped through.
0:54:56 > 0:54:576.7 is still a pass.
0:54:58 > 0:55:02It just means there are some things that we need to be aware of.
0:55:02 > 0:55:06Three weeks later, at the Co-op's Manchester city store,
0:55:06 > 0:55:09Paul's Mexican range is finally launching -
0:55:09 > 0:55:11the culmination of over a year's work.
0:55:13 > 0:55:15Well, this is a very big week for you, mate, isn't it?
0:55:15 > 0:55:18Big week, big day, really excited.
0:55:18 > 0:55:20Is this the first time that you've seen it in store?
0:55:20 > 0:55:22In store, yes.
0:55:22 > 0:55:26So, I'll spend probably four or five days this week just visiting stores
0:55:26 > 0:55:28making sure everything's looking all right, but this is it.
0:55:28 > 0:55:29Here we go.
0:55:29 > 0:55:31That blue makes it really stand out.
0:55:31 > 0:55:32You can see it a mile off.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35- Yes. Yeah...- Go on, mate, how do you feel?
0:55:35 > 0:55:37I feel great, I'll be honest with you.
0:55:37 > 0:55:40Yeah, it's been such hard work,
0:55:40 > 0:55:41and it's taken...
0:55:41 > 0:55:45Yeah, a lot of time, but actually, do you know what?
0:55:45 > 0:55:48It's kind of worth it. Just hoping that people buy it now.
0:55:48 > 0:55:50Cross my fingers and see what happens.
0:55:50 > 0:55:53Everything else now is down to whoever comes in and picks it up.
0:55:55 > 0:55:57Paul is right to be nervous.
0:55:57 > 0:56:01Over two-thirds of new products fail within their first year.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06Perhaps that's a sign of just how competitive
0:56:06 > 0:56:08the supermarket wars have become.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18It's been fascinating in this series
0:56:18 > 0:56:20to discover what's really going on
0:56:20 > 0:56:23in the fiercest retail war on record.
0:56:24 > 0:56:27The discounters have clearly had a huge impact,
0:56:27 > 0:56:30and we've seen the big guns respond.
0:56:30 > 0:56:33From borrowing their rivals' tactics,
0:56:33 > 0:56:35like stocking fewer products,
0:56:35 > 0:56:39to using social media to try and win young shoppers.
0:56:39 > 0:56:41- No!- Wow!- Don't do it!
0:56:41 > 0:56:45New battle grounds have emerged, such as "luxury on a budget."
0:56:46 > 0:56:51And everyone is scrambling to find the innovation and technology
0:56:51 > 0:56:53that will set them apart from the rest.
0:56:53 > 0:56:56Now, that is straight out of Willy Wonka, mate.
0:56:58 > 0:57:03The supermarkets are fighting to bring us food that's better,
0:57:03 > 0:57:06healthier and easier than ever before,
0:57:06 > 0:57:09and gives them an edge over the competition.