Sliced Bread

Is more expensive dog food worth it? Greg Foot gathers the experts, dives into the data and crunches the numbers to get answers for listeners Izzy and Pete. Each episode Greg investigates the latest ad-hyped products and trending fads promising to make us healthier, happier and greener. Are they really 'the best thing since sliced bread' and should you spend your money on them? RESEARCHER: PHIL SA...

Homebase was once one of our leading home improvement chains so, why did it have to close all of its stores? The BBC Business journalist Sean Farrington investigates. Alongside him is the entrepreneur Sam White, who at the end of the show has to reach her own conclusions, based only on what she has heard and her own business acumen. Homebase was established by the supermarket chain Sainsbury's and...

FHM was the men's magazine that sold vastly more copies than any of its competitors but still ended up toast. So, why did its publishers stop printing it while other men's magazines survived? The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, charts its highs and lows in the company of four of FHM's former editors. Alongside them is the entrepreneur, Sam White, who has to use her business acumen to rea...

Nike's FuelBand was among the first fitness trackers to be launched and was worn by sports stars including the tennis player, Serena Williams. So, why did Nike give up on it so soon after its launch? The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, is joined by Nike's former Vice President of Digital Sport, Stefan Olander, to get the inside story on what happened to the successful product. Alongside...

Freeserve rapidly became the UK's number one internet service provider within months of its launch in 1998, yet the brand disappeared almost as quickly. So, what happened? The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, investigates. Alongside him is the entrepreneur, Sam White, who at the end of the show has to reach her own conclusions, based only on what she has heard and her own business acumen....

Woolworths was once a family favourite with well over 1,000 UK stores selling everything from kitchenware to pick and mix. So, why did the business collapse when other general retailers were on the rise? The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, charts the company's highs and lows before asking 'what went wrong at Woolies?'. Alongside him is the entrepreneur, Sam White, who at the end of the s...

Can supplements claiming to make menopause symptoms more bearable, really help? Going through menopause can result in a myriad of symptoms, leaving women stressed, exhausted, and desperate for anything that might make it easier to deal with. In recent years, a huge range of products have become available in supermarkets, pharmacies and online, all promising to help alleviate some of these symptoms...

Do Vagus Nerve Stimulators help your mental health? The vagus nerve could be one of the most important body parts you might never have heard of. It's a large nerve that connects major organs like the heart and lungs to the brain and studies have found that stimulating it with electrical pulses can lead to dramatic improvements in some people with depression and other mental health conditions. Thos...

When staring at shelves full of sticks, tubs and tubes all promising us the perfect pout, how do you know which Lip Balms will really help keep chapped lips at bay? Listener Kiran is a regular lip balm applier - saying she often suffers with dry or cracked lips, and recently splashed out on an expensive lip balm after seeing celebrity endorsed adverts for it online. But she isn’t sure it’s any bet...

Which products are best for bedtime listening? According to a YouGov poll nearly half of us listen to music or podcasts to help us get to sleep and there are a range of products designed to do just that. Listener Nick has seen wearable sleep headbands with speakers woven in to the fabric which he hopes will stop him waking up in the middle of the night with headphones or earbuds digging into his e...

You may have heard health warnings around too much red or processed meat, and considered trying a plant based meat alternative as one of your midweek meals instead. But after looking at the ingredients on the packet and spotting salt, additives and flavourings, wondered if they really are the healthier choice? That’s exactly what listener Graham did, as he hunted for an alternative to his beloved...

Are there products that can help you avoid or ease jet lag? If you've travelled long-haul you'll know the feeling; your body feels completely out of sync with the new time zone, leaving you tired, disorientated and quite possibly a tad irritated! So is there anything you can do? Listener Moira suffered the effects of jet lag on a recent work trip to India and with another one coming up to the USA,...

Artificial sweeteners appeal to anyone with a sweet tooth looking to cut down on their sugar intake. They’re not only for use in our cups of tea or coffee, but they’re also in fizzy drinks, low calorie products, sweets and baked goods. But are they really a better alternative? Greg is joined by a leading scientist from the World Health Organisation, as well as a Professor of Gastroenterology who h...

Can home tests tell you if you have an allergy or a food intolerance? We're back with a new batch of investigations and kicking off this series is one of our most popular requests: home allergy tests. The companies that make them claim they can help you work out if you have an allergy or intolerance to certain foods. The idea is the information can help you decide what to eliminate from your diet....

What is keeping the traditional watch industry ticking over? The entrepreneur, Sam White, hosts Dough - the BBC Radio 4 series which looks at the business behind profitable everyday products and where the smart money might take them next. In each episode, Sam, and the futurist, Tom Cheesewright, are joined by product manufacturers and industry experts whose inside knowledge gives a new appreciatio...

Could the next generation of lawn mowers create any image you like on your lawn? The entrepreneur, Sam White, hosts Dough - the BBC Radio 4 series which looks at the business behind profitable everyday products and where the smart money might take them next. In each episode, Sam, and the futurist, Tom Cheesewright, are joined by product manufacturers and industry experts whose inside knowledge giv...

How can the bicycle industry recover from sales that plummeted after the pandemic? The entrepreneur, Sam White, hosts Dough - the BBC Radio 4 series which looks at the business behind profitable everyday products and where the smart money might take them next. In each episode, Sam, and the futurist, Tom Cheesewright, are joined by product manufacturers and industry experts whose inside knowledge g...

Could washing machines soon be cleaning our clothes without using any water? The entrepreneur, Sam White, hosts Dough - the BBC Radio 4 series which looks at the business behind profitable everyday products and where the smart money might take them next. In each episode, Sam, and the futurist, Tom Cheesewright, are joined by product manufacturers and industry experts whose inside knowledge gives a...

Game consoles have come a long way since the 1970s but could their days now be numbered? The entrepreneur, Sam White, returns with a new series of Dough - the BBC Radio 4 show which looks at the business behind profitable everyday products and where the smart money might take them next. In each episode, Sam, and the futurist, Tom Cheesewright, are joined by product manufacturers and industry exper...

Listener Angela is a musician, and long-time wearer of Hearing Aids – but as her parents and friends have started reaching an age where they might need them, she’s wondering what advice to give them - and whether paying more for a hearing aid, and potentially going private – would really help? There’s no question – Hearing Aids are Sliced Bread – but can the top end products really deliver on clai...

Edinburgh gardener Alan got in touch with Sliced Bread, to ask if he really needs to be spending money on buying and applying plant food or fish, blood and bone meal to his roses and woody perennials? He was keen to know what is in these commercial plant foods that come as a solid, liquid or granule, how often he is supposed to use them, whether they make as much of a difference as they claim, and...

Do Boiling Water Taps save you money? They're often seen in offices but boiling water taps are increasingly popular for the home kitchen too. They hold hot water at a constant temperature in a tank under your sink and claim to save you money compared to boiling a regular kettle. But does the evidence back up the marketing hype? Listener Jenny got in touch with Sliced Bread because she's upgrading...

Grounding Sheets - do they really work? It's perhaps the most-requested product in Sliced Bread history but is there any real science behind grounding (or 'earthing') sheets? The claims made for them are wide and varied - from reducing inflammation and pain, to helping with sleep. How do they do this? Proponents say grounding sheets connect you to the Earth's own electrical field and dissipate ele...

Which cooking oils are best for your health? Listener Sarah got in touch after seeing claims on social media that more expensive oils are better for you than regular vegetable, or rapeseed oil. And listener Kamal sent us a voicenote asking about coconut and avocado oil - both touted as healthier alternatives to other types of oil. Are they worth the extra cost? And what about health concerns if ce...

Listener Helen from Manchester got in touch to ask about Protein Powders, as she considered replenishing her supply that she’s been taking after long distance runs. She wanted to know if Whey or Plant-based protein really can help her build and repair muscle, whether there’s a set amount she should be having, if one type is better than the other, or if she could just get the protein she needs from...