Inside the Factory - Season 6

First aired: 12/27/2020 3 episodes

A look at some of the largest factories in Britain.

Episodes

1. Cider

Aired: 12/27/2020

How the world's biggest cider producer makes more than 350 million litres each year - from orchards in Herefordshire, to the mill in Ledbury, to fermentation and bottling at the factory. How grafting is used to create a new sweet apple variety called Scrumptious. How a by-product of making cider - CO2 - is used to make fire extinguishers. The history of the Victorian apple-breeding boom, and recreating one of Queen Victoria's favourite baked apple desserts.

2. Socks

Aired: 1/5/2021

How a Leicester factory makes one and a half million socks annually. What causes smelly feet, and which socks tackle it best. How a cotton spinner in Manchester produces 4,200 miles of yarn every hour. A revolutionary eco-cotton supplier. The history of 1980s sock fashion, and how the 'Kitchener stitch' helped save the feet of British soldiers in the trenches during the Great War.

3. Yoghurt

Aired: 1/12/2021

How one million pots of yoghurt are produced every 24 hours in rural Somerset - from the Friesian cows that provide the milk to the processing, culturing, and packing processes. How blackcurrant are harvested. Plant-based alternatives to milk. Food-safe yoghurt pots made from 100% recycled material. The history of the electric milk float and the contentious origins of the cream tea.