Sliced Bread
BBC Radio 4
While Sliced Bread takes a break we serve up Toast. A study of the spectacular failures of brands which had promised so much to consumers. In each episode, the presenter and BBC business journalist Sean Farrington examines one big idea. What did it promise? Why did people back it? Why did they get burnt? Some of the world’s most successful businesses have also brought us some of the world’s most remarkable failures. So, what led them to be toast? And what can we learn from their stories today? Sean unpicks all the early optimism, hype and ambition. He learns about the tremendous success of a brand before hearing how it faltered, with help from expert commentators and people who were directly involved. How do they view things now and what, if anything, could have been done differently? The self-made millionaire and serial entrepreneur, Sam White, is alongside him, analysing the missteps that changed a brand’s fortunes and reaching her own, often instructive, conclusions. From big tech to high street retail and, of course, food, Toast tackles the business ideas that, one way or another, ended up cooked. Sliced Bread returns for a new batch of investigations in January, 2026. 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. For this brand new series of Toast, episodes will be released weekly on Thursdays wherever you get your podcasts. But if you’re in the UK, you can listen to the latest episode on BBC Sounds first, a week earlier than anywhere else.Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4.
Episodes
Mentioned books
8 snips
Jun 2, 2022 • 25min
Meal Replacement Drinks
Huel and Soylent are two of the best known names in ‘complete nutrition’ drinks. More of us are trying them and you can now get pre-made bottles of these concoctions in the food aisle in supermarkets. Firms sell them as an instant alternative to breakfast, lunch and dinner too. But how ‘nutritionally complete’ are these liquid lunches? Listener Tom admits snacking on one in the middle of the afternoon but has questions. Does the fact they start as an ultra processed powder affect how healthy they are? Is it possible to live on them and nothing else? Greg Foot investigates. He talks to a registered dietician, a researcher on a new trial into these products, and Huel's co-founder and Head of Sustainable Nutrition, James Collier. In this series, we’re testing your suggested wonder-products. If you’ve seen an ad, trend or fad and wonder if there's any evidence to back up the makers' claims drop us an email to sliced.bread@bbc.co.ukPresenter: Greg Foot
Producer: Julian Paszkiewicz
7 snips
May 26, 2022 • 25min
Electric Toothbrushes (& Water Flossers)
Take a look down the aisle of any high street chemist and the array of electric toothbrushes on offer is as dazzling as the teeth they promise to give you. You can pay upto £500 for the latest versions whiose myriad features include interactive apps that give you feedback on your brushing technique.The market is dominated by two big brands, both promising a ‘professional’ clean: Oral B, whose iO brush has an oscillating action and Philips’ Sonicare, which uses tens of thousands of vibrations every minute to clean your teeth.After having to pay a lot more for private treatment because she couldn’t find an NHS dentist in her area, listener Holly got in touch to ask whether getting an electric brush might save her trips to the dentist in future. And wouldcould a more expensive brush really clean her teeth better than a cheaper electric one? Or even the trusty traditional (and far cheaper) manual one she currently uses?! Greg takes to the dentists chair to find out, testing both the Oral B and Philips brands as well as one of the latest trends – water flossing, which claim even better results than regular flossing with tape or interdental brushes. Is it the best thing since sliced bread? Or marketing BS? Greg guests this episode include a dental expert who's been studying electric brushes since their inception and the consumer group Which? who ranked electric toothbrushes in a recent consumer test of their own.This series, we’re testing your suggested wonder-products. Seen an ad, trend or fad and wonder if there's any evidence to back up the claim? Tell us! Drop us an email to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk . PRESENTER: Greg Foot
PRODUCER: Simon Hoban
May 19, 2022 • 24min
Blue Light Filtering Glasses
According to some businesses, the laptop, phone and TV screens we use every day are causing us big problems. They claim these devices emit concentrations of "harmful blue light" which leaves us with tired eyes and poor sleep. One firm goes even further by suggesting this may contribute to a worrying long term condition, macular degeneration which leaves you with a permanent black hole in the centre of your vision.Their solution? A pair of trendy looking spectacles which claim to filter out this blue light. Listener, Sophie spends roughly 12 hours a day at a screen of some sort.
She bought a pair but isn't sure if they work. So she's asked Greg to look into them and find out. We get answers from two leading lights in the science of our eyes. Professor John O'Hagan has been a public health scientist for 46 years and is Visiting Professor in Laser and Optical Radiation Safety at Loughborough University. Greg also meets sleep expert Russell Foster, professor of Circadian Neuroscience at the University of Oxford who's been researching body clocks for 38 years. We put the evidence directly to Dhruvin Patel. He's the boss of one of the largest blue light filtering brands, Ocushield which turned over £2m last year.How does he respond? And will Sophie keep using her trendy specs? This series, we’re testing your suggested wonder-products. Seen an ad, trend or fad and wonder if there's any evidence to back up the claim? Tell us! Drop us an line to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk . Presenter: Greg Foot
Producer: Julian Paszkiewicz
May 12, 2022 • 25min
Personalised Vitamin Plans
The vitamins market is growing fast, with many companies now offering bespoke vitamin plans that claim to produce the perfect personalised prescription just for you.Our listener Gareth wants to know if this could be a quick fix for his low energy and poor diet so Greg is going to find out. He’s got his sights on the popular companies suggesting personalised plans based on a simple online questionnaire that builds up a picture of your vitamin deficiencies via questions about your exercise, stress levels, diet and more.But these personalise plans comes at a premium - some go for close to £25 per month. Greg tests the questionnaires, speaks with nutritional experts, and sees whether Gareth thinks personalised vitamin plans are the best thing since sliced bread, or marketing BS.This season we’re testing YOUR suggested wonder-products. If you’ve seen an advert, trend or fad and want to know what the evidence says drop us an email to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or drop Greg a message direct on his social media where he’s @gregfootPRESENTER: Greg Foot
PRODUCER: Simon Hoban
May 5, 2022 • 25min
Running Shoes
They cost anything from less than £20 to more than £250. So how do you pick the right pair? And will paying more make you run faster?With the ‘Couch to 5K’ app breezing past 5 million downloads, and marathon season well underway, two listeners ask Greg: What will they get for the extra money? A shoe more suited to their running style? More cushioning and fewer injuries? And will a top of the range pair with a carbon plate in the sole make them faster? Greg Foot gets the answers from biomechanist, Dr Hannah Rice and sports technologist Professor Mike Caine. Plus, running writer, journalist and world record holder [for the fastest marathon in a full body animal costume (female)], Kate Carter. This season we’re testing YOUR suggested wonder-products. If you’ve seen an advert, trend or fad and want to know what the evidence says drop us an email to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or drop Greg a message direct on his social media where he’s @gregfootPresenter: Greg FootProducer: Julian Paszkiewicz
Apr 28, 2022 • 25min
Air Source Heat Pumps
One of your most requested ‘wonder-products’ so far. Heat pumps are promising to not only make our houses greener but to also cut our energy bills. But will they?
The Government says every home could have one and have reintroduced grants to help buy them. However Nick wants to know if an air source heat pump would be suitable for the 1930s house he’s about to move into with his family. Given the higher cost of the unit and the extra insulation he needs, will he actually be better off with a new combi boiler instead?
Greg speaks to experts, does a survey on his own home and gets Nick answers so he can decide if a heat pump, for him, would be the best thing since sliced bread.
Do you have a suggestion of a ‘wonder-product’ making a bold claim that Greg can investigate next? Send us your suggestions to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or send it to Greg direct on twitter or instagram where he’s @gregfootPRESENTER: GREG FOOT
PRODUCER: SIMON HOBAN
Apr 22, 2022 • 25min
Wagyu Beef
For many beef connoisseurs, a wagyu steak is the tenderest meat money can buy. They say it literally melts in the mouth. But Pete wants to know, if a Wagyu steak can set you back £100, how can supermarkets sell Wagyu burgers for around £3.50 a pair? How much of what makes wagyu beef so prized trickles down into a burger?Greg speaks to meat scientist, Martin Anderson, visits a Wagyu farm in Yorkshire, and sets up a blind taste test. All to find out if Wagyu burgers are the best thing between sliced bread. Do you have a suggestion of a ‘wonder-product’ making a bold claim that Greg can investigate next? Send us your suggestions to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or send it to Greg direct on Twitter or Instagram where he’s @gregfoot
PRESENTER: GREG FOOT
PRODUCERS: JULIAN PASZKIEWICZ & KEVIN CORE
Apr 14, 2022 • 25min
Sustainable Jeans
“Make better. Buy better. Wear it longer.” Lots of fashion brands are including claims like this in their adverts and one item of clothing that’s really getting the stamp of supposed “sustainability” is jeans.Maddie has asked Greg to look into what “sustainability” actually means when it comes to denim. Is it a term that marks genuine eco-impact, or is it more marketing BS?
And, as adverts claim, do “sustainable” jeans last longer? Greg speaks to an organisation that rates clothing brands’ sustainability credentials and visits Manchester Metropolitan University to hear the results of their ‘rub test’.
Do you have a suggestion of a ‘wonder-product’ making a bold claim that Greg can investigate next? Send us your suggestions to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or send it to Greg direct on Twitter and Instagram where he’s @gregfootPRESENTER: GREG FOOT
PRODUCER: JULIAN PASZKIEWICZ
Apr 7, 2022 • 30min
Electric Cars
Read Greg's blog for more info on the considerations and calculations made in this episode:https://www.gregfoot.com/post/should-you-switch-to-an-electric-carElectric Vehicles: Should you switch?
In the first of this new series Greg runs Julian’s suggested wonder-product through the evidence mill and asks whether electric vehicles (EVs) really are the best thing since sliced bread?
Julian has heard that switching his old petrol-guzzling banger for a shiny new EV will make him greener? But will it?
Electric cars are said to be ‘cleaner’ and ‘cheaper’ to run, but with a higher purchase price than their petrol equivalent - and a greater environmental footprint of manufacture - how many miles would Julian need to drive before his fuel savings off-set these initial costs - both financially and environmentally?
Greg tests one of the most popular cars in the UK and hears from experts including Mike Berners-Lee & Vicky Parrot to conclude whether electric vehicles are worth the hype, and your money.
And he wants YOUR suggestions for what to investigate next! Is there something you keep seeing on TV - or hearing about on a podcast? Have you spotted something trending on Instagram or TikTok and you want to know if it delivers? Send us your suggestions to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or send it to Greg direct on twitter or instagram where he’s @gregfoot
PRESENTER: GREG FOOT
PRODUCER: JULIAN PASZKIEWICZ
Apr 6, 2022 • 2min
Sliced Bread is back!
Greg Foot is back to investigate more ad-hyped products and trending fads promising to make us healthier, happier and greener.From personalised vitamin plans to NFTs, mindfulness apps to ‘sustainable’ jeans, Greg will find out if the latest wonder-products really are 'the best thing since sliced bread’.And he wants YOUR suggestions for what to investigate! Is there something you keep seeing on TV or hearing about on a podcast? Have you spotted something trending on Instagram or TikTok and want to know if it delivers? Send us your suggestions to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or send them to Greg direct on Twitter or Instagram where he’s @gregfoot.
