Sliced Bread

Listener Steve got in touch with us after trying out a set of Smart Scales himself. He wanted to keep an eye on his protein levels – which his scales claimed to do – for health reasons, and because he’d heard that we need more protein as we get older. His scales also promised to show him his body fat, muscle mass, and bone mass via a corresponding app on his phone. However, some of those readings...

Can you insulate your home for less than £100? With winter setting in listener Robin got in touch with Sliced Bread to find out if there's a way he can insulate his very old, very cold Victorian house on a budget. He's seen plastic films that go over the windows and silver foil-type backings that go behind the radiators. Do any of them work to keep the cold out and more of that precious heat in? A...

The team has gone through over 100 episodes of Sliced Bread, and carved out five popular products that may well be heading down a chimney to you this Christmas. Greg Foot will share with you the key points from experts we’ve spoken to on Air Fryers, Mascara, Perfume, Running Shoes, and DNA Ancestry Tests - as well as their conclusions in one handy festive slice! We’ve also updated some of the topi...

Can wonder products halt hair loss and grow back luscious locks? We're back with a new series of Sliced Bread and a fresh batch of investigations into your suggested wonder products. First up this time are lotions and pills that promise to stop hair loss - and even grow it back. For this episode Greg is joined at our Salford studios by two listeners, Ian and Kimberley. Ian got in touch about two p...

The mobile phone retailer, Phones 4u, was hugely profitable, so why did it have to close all of its 700+ shops? The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington and the entrepreneur, Sam White discover how Phones 4u ended up toast with help from expert guests including: John Caudwell - Phones 4u founder Nikki Barrow & Chris Papageorgiou - former Phones 4u staff members Ian White - editor of Mobile...

Dan-Air was one of Britain's biggest airlines and took millions of people on their first package holidays. So, why did such a successful business end up 'toast'? The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, and the entrepreneur, Sam White look into it. They are joined by: -Graham Simons - Dan-Air historian and author of the book 'The Spirit of Dan-Air' -Jackie Stacey & James Hoffmeister - for...

Our Price Records was one of Britain's biggest music retailers offering cut-price albums at over 300 local high street stores. So, why did the chain disappear even before the internet transformed the music industry? The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, and the entrepreneur, Sam White, examine the retailer's fortunes. How did it manage to become so successful? And why did it end up 'toast'...

Kodak made photography mainstream so why did it falter in a digital age? The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, discovers how Kodak rose to become a massive global enterprise best known for its cameras and film. Alongside him is the serial entrepreneur, Sam White, ready to offer her opinions on the business's fortunes. Kodak is still trading profitably but is now a much smaller business tha...

Why did we lose Reader's Digest magazine when it is still going in America? The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, discovers what happened to the brand which started over a hundred years ago and became the most widely read magazine in the world. Alongside him is the serial entrepreneur, Sam White, ready to offer her opinions on the business's fortunes. How did a magazine which pinched artic...

Listener Liz has recently switched to a coffee pod machine, that promises to deliver her a quick, convenient and delicious cup of coffee when she wants at the touch of a button. But she started to wonder about how the pods can be recycled, and whether her decision to swap to them had a greater impact on the environment? Greg Foot ‘filters’ through the research on coffee’s carbon footprint alongsid...

Do we really need all those cleaning sprays? Have a peek in anyone’s cupboard under the sink (ask first or it can get a bit weird) and you’re bound to find a clutch of cleaning sprays and products. The marketing often says they’re designed for certain rooms and do specific jobs. But listener Alice wants to know if we really need different sprays for our bathrooms and kitchens. Will soap and water...

Can taking special supplements help us to live longer? It's the 100th episode of Sliced Bread and to mark the occasion we're investigating the pills and supplements that claim to help us live longer - and more healthy - lives. Listener Soly has heard about so-called 'biohackers' such as Bryan Johnson in the US, who are trying to turn back the clock on their biological age and reverse the process t...

Does a session in a float tank work wonders for your mental health and exercise recovery? Listener Maddy has heard a lot about float tanks and joins Greg Foot to find out if it really is the latest product worth spending money on. She’s a keen runner and wants to know if claims that it can help with exercise recovery stack up. And what about the effects on the brain? When Maddy's partner recently...

Listener Nikki from Essex has a problem in her garden with a certain slippery character – the slug. She told Sliced Bread that she’s lost many a plant to them, and had to abandon growing certain kinds altogether – because while they’re being a nuisance, she doesn’t want to harm them. She has been researching non-lethal slug repellents, and wants to know if they actually work? Can things like egg s...

Do drinks and powders with electrolytes help to hydrate you better? Listener Rob got in touch as he’s recently taken up a new sport and wants to know if electrolytes can help his performance and recovery. He’s seen lots of adverts on social media for drinks and powders containing electrolytes that claim to hydrate you better than just plain water. But do they? To find the answers, Greg speaks to G...

Listener Raffi is tired of his morning coffee going cold by the time he's ready to drink it. There are plenty of products out there promising to do a better job than Raffi's flask, and they come with a range of price tags. But how do they work and what is the ideal drinking temperature? Dr Michael de Podesta, a chartered physicist and measurements expert, has been looking into these very questions...

Greens powders are made up of dozens of ingredients, which are ground up and added to water. They claim to do all sorts of things for our bodies, like give us extra energy, clearer skin, boost our gut health and reduce bloating. But they're not cheap. So what's in them and do they work? That's what listener Sofie, whose social feeds have been bombarded with adverts for greens powders, wants to kno...

Lots of people use a foam roller, either before after exercise. It's not usually a very comfortable experience - as Greg finds out in this episode - but is worth the pain? Can they really increase flexibility before exercise, and ease our muscles afterwards? Is it any better than stretching? As you'd expect, there are plenty of claims around these products, which cost anything from a tenner to mor...

Do more expensive dishwasher tablets clean better? And how do eco versions stack up? We are back with a new series of Sliced Bread and even more investigations into your suggested wonder products! We'll also be hitting a significant milestone during this batch of programmes so look out for more on that. First up - dishwasher tablets. Listener Deborah got in touch after hearing our deep-dive into d...

Could fridges make way for kitchen cabinets that don't just keep food fresh but actually grow it? Dough is a new series from BBC Radio 4 which looks at the business behind profitable, everyday products, assessing where the smart money is going now and what that could mean for all of us in the years ahead. In this episode, the entrepreneur Sam White speaks with experts from the world of refrigerati...

Will anyone iron clothes in the future? Dough is a new series from BBC Radio 4 which looks at the business behind profitable, everyday products, assessing where the smart money is going now and what that could mean for all of us in the years ahead. In this episode, the entrepreneur Sam White speaks with experts from the world of garment care including: Leonor Carneiro - the category leader for gar...

How do modern hairdryers protect against damage from excessive heat? Dough is a new series from BBC Radio 4 which looks at the business behind profitable, everyday products and considers how they might evolve in the future. In this episode, the entrepreneur Sam White speaks with experts from the world of hairdryer manufacturing, namely Robyn Coutts, a senior design manager at Dyson and Andrew McDo...

Why do we buy so many vacuum cleaners? Dough is a new series from BBC Radio 4 which looks at the business behind profitable, everyday products and considers how they might evolve in the future. In this episode, the entrepreneur Sam White speaks with experts from the world of vacuum cleaner manufacturing, including: Grahame Capron-Tee - who has seen many significant changes during his long career i...

What might our TV sets be like in the future? Dough is a new series from BBC Radio 4 which looks at the business behind profitable, everyday products and considers how they might evolve in the years to come. In this episode, the entrepreneur Sam White speaks with experts from the world of television manufacturing, including Brian Palmer, who has seen many interesting and amusing changes during his...

Dough is a new series from BBC Radio 4 which looks at the business behind profitable, everyday products and considers how they might evolve in the future. In each episode, entrepreneur Sam White, futurist Tom Cheesewright and a host of technology experts take on a popular product, look at where the smart money's going now and then try to predict what that could mean for all of us in the years ahea...