Sliced Bread

Latest Episodes:

Sliced Bread - Series 8: Air Fresheners May 16, 2024

Show notes

The UK market for air care products is expected to grow to £674 million this year - and for this episode, we're investigating just how these products tackle bad smells in our homes. Can air fresheners really "eliminate" stinky odours with science, or do they just smell nicer? And what does using them do for our air quality? That's what listener Conor from Manchester wants to know. He joins Greg in the studio, alongside two experts - Nicola Carslaw, a professor in indoor air chemistry‘ at the University of York, and emeritus professor of chemo-reception at the University of Manchester, Krishna Persaud.

Have you seen something promising to make you happier, healthier or greener? Want to know if it's SB or BS? Please let us know - you can email sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or drop us a message or voicenote on Whatsapp to 07543 306807.

PRESENTER: GREG FOOT PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

Sliced Bread - Series 8: LED Face Masks May 09, 2024

Show notes

Is an LED face mask the secret to brighter, clearer, more youthful skin?

Greg Foot is back with a new series of Sliced Bread to run a whole new batch of your suggested wonder products through the evidence mill. From car tyres to contact lenses, air fresheners to LED face masks, Greg will separate science fact from marketing fiction as he investigates whether each product is 'the best thing since sliced bread' or 'marketing BS'.

There's a slightly new sound to this new series: having recorded most of the previous episodes remotely, Greg is going to be joined in the studio by the listener and experts to investigate the wonder products together!

First to join Greg is Helen Leneghan from County Down. She’s seen LED Face Masks all over social media and wants to know if they actually work. Do they reduce your wrinkles? Will they give you a radiant glow? And can they help with some skin conditions like acne or rosacea?

As ever, if YOU have seen something promising to make you happier, healthier or greener and want to know if it is SB or BS please do send it over on email to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or drop us a message or voicenote on Whatsapp to 07543 306807

PRESENTER: Greg Foot PRODUCER: Simon Hoban

Toast - Series 3: Safeway UK May 02, 2024

Show notes

Why did Safeway's UK supermarkets disappear?

Safeway was once one of our biggest supermarket chains, so why did it drop down the list of top performers before disappearing altogether?

The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, looks into it and speaks to the former Safeway director, Teresa Wickham, a former Safeway supplier, Judy Garner, and the News Editor, Ronan Hegarty, from The Grocer magazine.

Alongside them all to analyse Safeway's fortunes is the self-made millionaire and serial entrepreneur, Sam White.

This episode was produced by Viant Siddique.

Toast examines the brands that reached dizzy heights only to end up…toast.

It is a BBC Audio North production for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

You can email the programme at toast@bbc.co.uk

Feel free to suggest topics which could be covered in future episodes.

Sliced Bread returns for a new batch of investigations in May. In the new series, Greg Foot will investigate more of the latest so-called wonder products to find out whether they really are the best thing since sliced bread. In the meantime, Toast is available in the Sliced Bread feed on BBC Sounds.

Toast - Series 3: Green Shield Stamps Apr 25, 2024

Show notes

Green Shield Stamps could be traded in for 'free' gifts so why did consumers abandon them?

Sean Farrington examines their rise and fall and discovers how they spawned a famous retail chain which is still trading.

The stamps were the centrepiece of an early form of loyalty scheme and were collected by tens of millions of people across the UK.

They were given out by shops with every purchase and could be exchanged for a wide range of household goods and luxury items from handbags to vacuum cleaners and even cars.

The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, speaks to expert guests including:

Sir John Timpson - chairman of the retail services provider, Timpson, who dedicated a chapter of his book on 'High Street Heroes' to the Green Shield Stamp founder, Richard Tompkins.

Professor Leigh Sparks - Professor of Retail Studies at the University of Stirling.

Alongside them, analysing the stamps' fortunes is the entrepreneur, Sam White.

Toast is a BBC Audio North production for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

This episode was produced by Jon Douglas.

You can email the programme at toast@bbc.co.uk

Feel free to suggest topics which could be covered in future episodes.

Sliced Bread returns for a new batch of investigations in May.

In the new series, Greg Foot will investigate more of the latest so-called wonder products to find out whether they really are the best thing since sliced bread.

In the meantime, Toast is available in the Sliced Bread feed on BBC Sounds.

Toast - Series 3: Mothercare's UK Stores Apr 18, 2024

Show notes

Why did Mothercare have to close all of their UK stores?

Sean Farrington discovers what happened to the baby goods retailer which once dominated the high street.

Alongside him, analysing Mothercare's fortunes, is the entrepreneur, Sam White.

The pair hear from Tim Curtis who once ran Mothercare's website, catalogue and home delivery service; Amena Khan, a loyal Mothercare customer and Richard Lim, CEO of Retail Economics.

They chart the highs and the lows and learn how Mothercare continues to trade today, albeit in a different form.

Produced by Jon Douglas and Shanaye Mainoo-Magnone. Toast is a BBC Audio North production for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

You can email the programme at toast@bbc.co.uk

Feel free to suggest topics which could be covered in future episodes.

Toast - Series 3: Vine Apr 11, 2024

Show notes

Why was the video sharing platform, Vine, closed down?

Sean Farrington discovers what happened to the app which pioneered short, shareable videos on social media.

Sean speaks to one of Vine's founders, Rus Yusupov, the Vine content creator, Eric Dunn, and the BBC's Technology Editor, Zoe Kleinman.

Alongside them all analysing Vine's fortunes is the self-made millionaire and serial entrepreneur, Sam White.

Produced by Viant Siddique. Toast is a BBC Audio North production for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

You can email the programme at toast@bbc.co.uk

Feel free to suggest topics which could be covered in future episodes.

Toast - Series 3: Little Chef Apr 04, 2024

Show notes

Why did the restaurant chain, Little Chef, disappear from our roadsides?

Sean Farrington discovers what happened to the brand which brought us Jubilee Pancakes, Olympic Breakfasts and free lollies for the kids.

At its peak, Little Chef had over 400 restaurants on most of our major highways and a turnover well in excess of £100m.

So, how did such a successful business ultimately end up toast?

Sean speaks to Fiona Alper who was married to the Little Chef co-founder, Sam Alper; the entrepreneur, Lawrence Wosskow, who once owned Little Chef and Becky Parr-Phillips who started as a waitress but rose through the ranks to become Little Chef's head of operations.

Alongside them all to analyse Little Chef's fortunes is the self-made millionaire and serial entrepreneur, Sam White.

This episode was first broadcast in April 2024

Produced by Jon Douglas. Toast is a BBC Audio North production for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

You can email the programme at toast@bbc.co.uk

Feel free to suggest topics which could be covered in future episodes.

Sliced Bread - Series 7: Mushroom Coffee Mar 28, 2024

Show notes

This one's all about mushrooms - not so much your chestnut, button or portobellos from the supermarket, but more the likes of lion's mane, reishi and chaga. These much-feted fungi are claimed to offer all sorts of benefits, from relaxation to disease-fighting properties. We've had loads of questions about products containing them, particularly around mushroom coffee. Is there any evidence that it's better for you than your regular brew? Listener Leon is fond of it - and wants to know if there's any science to back up his inclination. To get him some answers, we hear from a registered nutritionist and a mycologist (fungi expert) who's just written a book all about medicinal mushrooms. So are they the best thing since Sliced Bread?

If you’ve seen an ad, trend or wonder product promising to make you happier, healthier or greener and want to know how it stacks up, then email us: sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or send a voice note to our WhatsApp number: 07543 306807

PRESENTER: GREG FOOT PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

Sliced Bread - Series 7: Dishwashers Mar 21, 2024

Show notes

Is it better to wash your dishes by hand or use a dishwasher?

This question from listener Eve has got to be among the most hotly contested debates out there. She wants to know which method uses more water and which is more energy efficient. To find out, we speak to a man who's spent decades studying the differences - Professor Rainer Stamminger from the University of Bonn in Germany.

Eve also wants to know about the eco settings on dishwashers: how can they save money if they take so much longer? And should you pre-rinse before putting things in?! In short, does the evidence around dishwashers stack up (sorry!) Greg will be finding out.

PRESENTER: Greg Foot PRODUCER: Simon Hoban

Sliced Bread - Series 7: Tens Machines and Circulation Boosters Mar 14, 2024

Show notes

Greg's getting electric for this one, as he tries out a tens machine. Tens (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) is a type of pain relief which uses a mild electrical current. They're marketed at all types of pain - but do they work? The NHS isn't convinced yet. Listener Patrick is one of many who have asked about these devices, so we got in touch with a a professor who's studied them for 40 years. Also - another type of electrotherapy is a circulation booster. These circular devices claim to be able to help sore legs by activating the muscles. On behalf of listener Rick, Greg finds out what the evidence is for their effectiveness.

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY PRESENTER: GREG FOOT

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