Inside the Factory

Inside the Factory is a British television series produced by Voltage TV for the BBC. The first episode was broadcast on BBC Two on 5 May 2015. Each episode explores how a specific product is made inside a factory. The series is presented by Paddy McGuinness, Cherry Healey and historian Ruth Goodman who provides a look at how products came to exist as we know them today.

Inside the Factory
GenreDocumentary
Presented byGregg Wallace
(2015-2023)
Paddy McGuinness (2024-)
Cherry Healey
Ruth Goodman
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series8
No. of episodes52
Production
ProducerAmanda Lyon
Running time60 minutes
Production companyVoltage TV
Release
Original networkBBC Two
Original release5 May 2015 (2015-05-05) –
present

Initially both Gregg Wallace and Healey visited the factories together, but since the Christmas special of 2017, each of the three presenters is in separate locations, forming different segments of the programme.

Wallace, who presented the programme from its first episode, announced in 2023 that he was leaving the programme, with his last episode airing as the eighth series finale in 2023.[1]

On 22 August 2023, it was announced that Paddy McGuinness had been selected to be the new presenter on Inside the Factory, replacing Wallace in the upcoming ninth series airing in 2024.[2]

Episodes

Series 1
EpisodeTitleOriginal airdateViewers (millions)
1Bread5 May 20152.35
Gregg and Cherry visit the Kingsmill factory in West Bromwich to learn the secrets of how they make bread. Cherry looks at how to make your bread last longer and Ruth shows what hidden items used to be found in bread.
2Chocolate6 May 20152.45
Gregg visits the Nestlé factory in York and Cherry visits the Thorntons factory in Derbyshire to learn the secrets of how they make chocolate. Ruth meets some people who used to work on the first chocolate production lines.
3Milk7 May 20152.54
Gregg and Cherry visit the Arla factory in Aylesbury to learn the secrets of how they process milk, Cherry also learns how cheese is produced and visits Unilever Gloucester to learn how they make ice cream. Ruth investigates the history of milk.

Series 2
EpisodeTitleOriginal airdateViewers (millions)
1Cereal26 July 20162.43
Gregg and Cherry visit the Kellogg's factory in Manchester to learn the secrets of how they make cereal, specifically Crunchy Nut Corn Flakes. Cherry also visits the Weetabix factory, looks at how wheat is grown and how they add additional vitamins and minerals to cereals. Ruth looks at what people used to eat for breakfast before cereal was invented.
2Crisps2 August 20163.07
Gregg and Cherry visit the Walkers factory in Leicester to learn the secrets of how they make crisps, specifically Cheese and Onion. Cherry looks at what makes a perfect potato for making crisps and how your brain can be tricked into thinking you are eating something different. Ruth looks at who invented crisps.
3Baked Beans9 August 20162.77
Gregg and Cherry visit the H. J. Heinz, Wigan factory to learn the secrets of how they make baked beans. Cherry looks at how cans are recycled and Ruth looks at the history behind canned food.
4Bicycles16 August 20161.83
Gregg and Cherry visit the Brompton factory in West London to learn the secrets of how they make folding bicycles. Cherry gets tips from Team GB to improve her cycling speed and she also learns how bicycles are painted to cope with adverse weather. Ruth looks at important moments in history that used bicycles including the D-Day landings.
5Sweets23 August 20163.22
Gregg and Cherry visit the Swizzels Matlow factory in Derbyshire to learn the secrets of how they make different sweets. Cherry learns how they put writing into rock and how different nations have different tastes in sweets. Ruth investigates how sweets were first invented.
6Shoes30 August 20162.80
Gregg and Cherry visit the New Balance factory in Cumbria to learn the secrets of how they make trainers. Cherry looks at how leather is processed as well as how ballet shoes are produced. Ruth traces the origins of trainers, specifically to Reebok which was founded by J.W. Foster and Sons in Bolton, Lancashire.
SpecialChristmas 201620 December 20163.45
Gregg and Cherry visit the Mr Kipling factory in Barnsley to learn the secrets of how they make various Christmas treats like Mince pies and yule log. Cherry looks at how tinsel and wrapping paper are made, while Ruth looks at the history of Christmas crackers.

Series 3
EpisodeTitleOriginal airdateViewers (millions)
1Tea bags18 July 20172.45
Gregg and Cherry visit the Typhoo factory on the Wirral, Merseyside to learn the secrets of how they make their teabags. Cherry looks at the process of how the tea leaves first start out before being shipped off to the factories.[3]
2Pasta25 July 20172.52
Gregg and Cherry are at Barilla, the world's largest dried pasta factory in Parma, Italy, where they produce 150,000 kilometres of spaghetti each day.[4]
3Biscuits1 August 20172.77
Gregg and Cherry visit the McVitie's factory to look at the production of chocolate digestive biscuits. Cherry looks at the preparation of the chocolate and the creation of the bronze moulds used to make biscuits.[5]
SpecialChristmas 201718 December 20172.91
Gregg is at a cake factory in Oldham where they make two million Christmas cakes for Marks and Spencer. Cherry visits Britain's largest marzipan factory. Ruth investigates why Christmas tree lights are called fairy lights.[6]
4Fish Fingers2 January 20182.94
Gregg visits a Grimsby factory that makes 80,000 fish fingers daily. Cherry travels to Iceland where she follows fish through a processing factory. Ruth investigates the origins of cod fish fingers.[7]
5Sauces9 January 20182.70
Gregg visits a factory in the Netherlands that produces a quarter of a million tonnes of condiments per year. Cherry finds out how glass jars are made. Ruth investigates Britain's love of mayonnaise and tells the history of Worcestershire sauce.[8]
6Soft Drinks16 January 20183.10
Gregg is at the Ribena factory in Gloucestershire which produces three million bottles of the soft drink per week. Cherry discovers how berries are harvested and visits a plastic recycling plant that processes 2.5 million bottles per day. Ruth investigates the origins of fizzy drinks.[9]

Series 4
EpisodeTitleOriginal airdateViewers (millions)
1Coffee17 July 20182.48
Gregg visits the Nestlé Tutbury coffee factory in Derbyshire that produces 175,000 jars of instant coffee per day. Cherry is in the lab where she discovers the chemical composition of coffee. Ruth investigates the origins of instant coffee.[10]
2Toilet Roll24 July 20182.56
Gregg is at a factory in Manchester that makes 700,000 toilet rolls a day. He follows the raw material from Sweden where it is harvested from a sustainable forest. Cherry finds out how they churn out 1,000 toilets a day at Britain's oldest toilet factory and sees how wastewater is treated at a plant in Brighton. Ruth discovers what items were used before the invention of toilet paper.[11]
3Sausages31 July 20182.82
Gregg is in North Yorkshire at a factory that makes 625,000 sausages a day. Cherry finds out the best way to cook your sausage. Ruth discovers how a German bratwurst created the hot dog.[12]
4Curry14 August 20183.19
Gregg visits the Nottinghamshire Worksop Factory that makes 250,000 jars of curry sauce daily. Cherry heads to India to follow the harvestation of chillies on a farm. Ruth discovers the origins of curry in Britain may be as far back as 1747.[13]
SpecialChristmas 201817 December 20182.83
Gregg visits a factory which makes 2,000,000 tins of festive chocolates per year. Cherry finds out how Christmas ornaments are made and discovers how festive postage stamps are printed at the Royal Mail. Ruth uncovers the tradition of the Christmas turkey.[14]
5Potato waffles26 February 20192.85
Gregg is in Lowestoft at a frozen food factory where they produce one million potato waffles a day. Cherry learns about the different types of potatoes. Ruth finds out how the potato was popularised and meets one of the inventors of the potato waffle.[15]
6Pizza5 March 20192.51
Gregg visits Italy where they make 400,000 frozen pizzas a day. Cherry discovers that not all cheeses are equal and which work best on pizza. Ruth finds out the history of freezer transport.[16]
7Beer12 March 20192.48
Gregg follows the production at Britain's biggest brewery where they make 3,000,000 pints of beer a day. Cherry finds out how basic ingredients can make a wide variety of beers. Ruth discovers why Burton upon Trent became the heart of brewing in Britain in the 1800s.[17]
8Pencils19 March 20192.54
Gregg is at the Faber-Castell factory in Stein, Bavaria, which makes 600,000 pencils a day. Cherry uncovers the properties of graphite - the main material that makes up a pencil. Ruth tells of the earliest pencils used in Britain.[18]
9Cheese26 March 20192.62
Gregg visits the Primula cheese factory in Gateshead which makes 3,000 tonnes of spreadable cheese each year. Cherry discovers what determines the smell, taste and appearance of different types of cheese. Ruth finds out how cheddar became the most popular hard cheese worldwide.[19]

Series 5
EpisodeTitleOriginal airdateViewers (millions)
1Cherry Bakewells30 July 20193.04
Gregg is in Stoke at a factory that produces 250,000 cherry bakewells every day. Cherry finds out how to avoid a soggy bottom when baking tarts and pies at home. Ruth discovers the origins of frangipane - one of the cherry bakewell's key ingredients.
2Wax Jacket6 August 20193.03
Gregg visits South Shields at a factory where they make 650 waxed jackets per day. Cherry discovers how they make waterproof-breathable fabrics that keep the rain out while preventing sweat. Ruth finds out how seamen contributed to the origins of waxed jackets.
3Croissants13 August 20192.98
Gregg is at a factory in France where they make 336,000 croissants every day. Cherry discovers the best way to eat a croissant. Ruth travels outside of France to find the origin of the croissant.
4Mattresses20 August 20192.89
Gregg is in Beeston, Leeds at the Harrison Spinks factory that produces 600 mattresses per day. Cherry finds out if having an afternoon nap is better than drinking coffee. Ruth discovers the materials people slept on in the Middle Ages, how steel transformed the mattress and finds the origin of the duvet.
SpecialXmas Party Food12 December 20192.54
Gregg Wallace is in Nottingham at an enormous party food factory where they produce 200,000 canapes every 24 hours.
6Pasties7 April 2020TBA
Gregg Wallace is in Cornwall at an enormous bakery where they produce 180,000 pasties a day.
7Pots and Pans14 April 2020TBA
Gregg Wallace is in France at an enormous foundry that produces a cast iron pot every five seconds.
8Soup21 April 2020TBA
Gregg Wallace is at an enormous soup factory at H. J. Heinz, Wigan, where they produce more than two million tins a day.
9Liqueurs28 April 2020TBA
Gregg Wallace is in Ireland at an enormous liqueurs factory, where they produce 540,000 bottles a day.
10Cereal Bars5 May 20203.04
Gregg Wallace is in Essex at an enormous cereal bar factory, which produces 400,000 fruit- and nut-packed treats a day. Gregg follows the production from the arrival of two tonnes of macadamia nuts all the way through to dispatch, while Cherry travels to Africa to find out how Macadamia nuts are harvested.

Series 6 ("Keeping Britain Going")
EpisodeTitleOriginal airdateViewers (millions)
1Toilet Roll Update25 May 2020TBC
As many UK factories face unprecedented demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Gregg Wallace catches up with some of the factory workers who are toiling around the clock to make sure our cupboards are stocked.
2Baked Beans Update1 June 2020TBC
As many UK factories face unprecedented demand, Gregg Wallace catches up with the baked beans factory producing 15 million tins in a week.
3Crisps Update23 July 2020TBC
As many UK factories face unprecedented demand, Gregg Wallace catches up with some of the factory workers who are toiling around the clock to make sure our cupboards are stocked. TBC
4Tea Update30 July 2020TBC
Gregg reconnects with the Typhoo Tea factory in the Wirral. The coronavirus crisis caused tea bag sales to soar, and the tea factory has upped production to produce 109 million tea bags in a week.
5Biscuits Update6 August 2020TBC
Gregg Wallace reconnects with the McVitie's factory in Harlesden, London, who sold an astonishing 12.5 million packets in just two months during the coronavirus crisis.

Series 7
EpisodeTitleOriginal airdateViewers (millions)
1Cider27 December 2020TBA
Gregg visits the Bulmers factory in Herefordshire to learn the secrets of how they make their cider. Cherry visits an orchard growing a sweet apple variety called Scrumptious. Ruth goes in search of who first put bubbles in a bottle.[20]
2Socks5 January 2021TBA
Gregg visits the Pantherella sock factory in Leicester that produces one and a half million socks annually. Ruth delves into the history of socks in the late twentieth century. Cherry investigates whether certain sock materials cause smelly feet. Ruth looks at sock design during World War I. Cherry learns about a new environmentally friendly way of growing cotton.[21]
3Yoghurt12 January 2021TBA
Gregg visits the Yeo Valley factory in rural Somerset, that produces 125,000 tonnes of yogurt every year. Cherry tests plant-based milk alternatives. Ruth learns about the history of the first electric milk float. Cherry travels to Herefordshire to help with the UK's biggest blackcurrant harvest. Ruth investigates the origins of Cream tea.[22]
SpecialChristmas Cards22 December 2021TBC
Gregg visits the Woodmansterne card factory in Watford, one of the largest greeting card companies in the UK. Cherry visits a Teddy bear factory to see how they are made. Ruth looks into how the Victorians celebrated Christmas. Cherry cooks a plant-based vegan Christmas dinner. Ruth delves into the events of 1647 which led to Christmas being banned for 12 years.[23]
4Diggers (XL)29 December 2021TBC
Gregg visits the JCB factory in Rocester, Staffordshire that makes their iconic diggers. Ruth looks into the history of hydraulics. Cherry travels to Hertfordshire to sees how diggers help in the construction of a new road.[24]
5Malt Loaf5 January 2022TBA
Gregg Wallace visits the largest malt loaf factory in the world, encountering a production line of massive dough mixing, mind-boggling tin filling and intensely hot baking.[25]
6Chairs12 January 2022TBA
Gregg Wallace visits the Ercol factory in Buckinghamshire to follow the production of a Windsor chair. Meanwhile, Cherry Healey investigates how sitting too much could be very bad for our health.[26]
7Leather Boots19 January 2022TBA
Gregg Wallace visits a boot factory in Wollaston, Northamptonshire to follow the production of a pair of Dr. Martens, while Cherry Healey gets to grips with the machines that make shoelaces.[27]
8Tortilla Chips26 January 2022TBA
Gregg Wallace visits the biggest tortilla factory in Europe, while Cherry Healey takes on the hottest chilli in the world and Ruth Goodman reveals how the Elizabethans treated their ruff collars.[28]
9Mugs2 February 2022TBA
Gregg visits the Denby factory in Derbyshire. Brits drink 195 million mugs of tea and coffee every day, so Gregg is following production of one of the factory's best sellers, the Halo Heritage mug.[29]
10Ice Cream9 February 2022TBA
Gregg visits a family-run factory in the heart of rural Aberdeenshire, which churns out more than 49 tonnes of dairy ice cream every day. Cherry tests the best methods of stopping brain freeze and goes in search of a non-drip ice lolly. Ruth hops on board an ice cream van to find out how soft whip became a favourite on Britain's streets.[30]
11Vacuums16 February 2022TBA
Gregg visits a huge vacuum cleaner factory in the heart of Somerset and follows their biggest seller, the Henry vacuum cleaner in bright red.[31]

Series 8
EpisodeTitleOriginal airdateViewers (millions)
1Trains (XL)1 August 2022TBC
The programme features Alstom's Derby Litchurch Lane Works and shows how a Class 720 Aventra 5-car electric multiple unit is built.[32]
2Buses (XL)8 August 2022TBC
Gregg visits the Alexander Dennis factory in Scarborough to see how the iconic red double-decker London Bus is made, in the form of the fully-electric Enviro400EV.[33]
3Jaffa Cakes4 April 2023TBC
Gregg Wallace visits a factory that churns out 1.4 billion Jaffa Cakes a year, while Cherry Healey is in the city responsible for growing the fruit that gives these cakes their name.[34]
4Pork Pies[35] 11 April 2023TBC
Gregg Wallace explores the Vale of Mowbray pork pie factory, which began making pork pies in 1928. Cherry Healey reveals hacks for the perfect vegan shortcrust pastry.
5Crumpets[36] 18 April 2023TBC
Gregg Wallace visits a factory making 432 million crumpets every year. Cherry Healey learns the science of making batter for pancakes, and Ruth Goodman reveals how crumpets got their bubbles.
6Vegan Sausages[37] 25 April 2023TBC
Gregg visits a factory that churns out up to 90,000 vegan sausages a day, while Ruth Goodman uncovers the green shoots of the vegetarian movement in Britain.
7Rice Pudding[38] 2 May 2023TBC
Gregg Wallace explores the Ambrosia factory in Lifton, Devon, to reveal how it makes up to 360,000 rice puddings every single day.
8Mints[39] 9 May 2023TBC
Gregg visits a factory that churns out 32 million mints per day. Cherry Healey visits the largest sugar beet factory in Europe, and Ruth Goodman explores minty mouthwash marketing.

Re-edited and Syndicated versions

Netherlands

In the Netherlands, some episodes have been re-edited together, cutting out the presenters, to produce a series called Binnen in de Fabriek which has been broadcast by RTL.

United States

In the US, the Smithsonian Channel shows a re-edited version of the show, still presented by Gregg Wallace, called Inside the Food Factory, which has also been broadcast on Smithsonian's British Freeview channel.[40] These episodes are available on the Smithsonian Channel website.

References
  1. Searle, Joshua (6 April 2023). "Gregg Wallace reveals reason he quit BBC Inside the Factory". Great British Life. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  2. Chase, Stephanie (22 August 2023). "Inside the Factory announces new host after Greg Wallace exit". DigitalSpy. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  3. "Tea Bags, Series 3, Inside the Factory - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  4. "Pasta, Series 3, Inside the Factory - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  5. "Biscuits, Series 3, Inside the Factory - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  6. "Christmas 2017, Inside the Factory - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  7. "Fish Fingers, Series 3, Inside the Factory - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  8. "Sauces, Series 3, Inside the Factory - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  9. "Soft Drinks, Series 3, Inside the Factory - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  10. "Coffee, Series 4, Inside the Factory - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  11. "Toilet Roll, Series 4, Inside the Factory - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  12. "Sausages, Series 4, Inside the Factory - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  13. "Curry, Series 4, Inside the Factory - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  14. "Christmas 2018". Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  15. "Potato Waffles". Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  16. "Pizza". Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  17. "Beer". Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  18. "Pencils". Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  19. "Cheese". Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  20. "Cider". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  21. "Socks". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  22. "Yogurt". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  23. "Christmas Cards". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  24. "Diggers". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  25. "Malt Loaf". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  26. "Chairs". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  27. "Leather Boots". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  28. "Tortilla Chips". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  29. "Mugs". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  30. "Ice Cream". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  31. "Vacuums". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  32. "Trains". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  33. "Buses". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  34. "BBC Two - Inside the Factory, Series 7, Jaffa Cakes". BBC. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  35. "Inside the Factory". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  36. "Inside the Factory". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  37. "Inside the Factory". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  38. "Inside the Factory". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  39. "Inside the Factory". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  40. “Inside the Food Factory”. Smithsonian. Retrieved 20 July 2021
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