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 in the industry; Nick Grey - the inventor and founder of Gtech; Anthony Williams - a global...

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 long career in the industry. Brian is now the founder and chief executive officer of Cello...

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 ahead. The series starts on BBC Radio 4 and will be available in the Sliced Bread feed on BBC Sounds...

Listener Chris from Suffolk recently took a DNA ancestry test, and after getting some interesting results back, he wondered how accurate they really were? Greg Foot finds out by taking two tests himself – and has the results and his family tree revealed to him by DNA Genealogist from Finding Families, Louise Baldock. He also speaks to Professor of Genetics at Leicester University Mark Jobling to find out what these companies are looking for, what they can or can’t determine from our DNA in...

Are the latest ear plugs better for gigs, focus and sleep? In this special edition of Sliced Bread, recorded at the Hay Festival in South Wales, Greg Foot investigates the newer style of ear plugs. He's joined by listener Marni who's seen adverts for brands like Loop, which promise to protect your hearing at higher volumes while still allowing you to enjoy music at gigs. Other models in their range claim to give you better focus, shutting out extraneous noise but still allowing you to hear...

Can fortified drinks and spreads really reduce cholesterol? Almost half of UK adults have raised cholesterol, according to the charity Heart UK - and Sliced Bread listener Cathy is one of them. She found out after taking a test at her GP and wants to do something about it. Her first plan of action is to make changes to her lifestyle, such as diet and exercise. As part of that, Cathy wants to know if the spreads and drinks that claim to lower cholesterol really do work. Greg Foot is joined by...

This episode has been edited since broadcast. Twelve year old Bradley got in touch with Sliced Bread after trying out his mum Jennifer’s acupressure mat. Jennifer says she swears by it, it relaxes her, and she even falls asleep on it! But after testing it out himself, he was less than convinced. He asked us to find out what these mats are meant to do, whether they work or if they’re a placebo effect, and whether paying more for one could mean better results? Joining Greg in the studio to...

What's the best - and most humane - way to get rid of pests? For some of us Tom and Jerry might be the sum total of our knowledge of the struggle between domestic life and unwanted rodents. But for listeners Colin and Mary, things are getting much more real! Colin wants to know if the plug-in devices he's seen that promise to deter rats and mice using ultrasonic actually work. Mary has caught mice and then released them back into the wild in nearby woodland, believing it's the more humane way...

Listener Jennifer is considering switching contact lenses, if there's an alternative that's more eco friendly. She's not alone - we've had lots of questions about eyecare options, and whether the fancy features some lenses offer are worth the extra cash. Joining Greg and Jennifer in the studio to talk all things contact lens are Daniel Hardiman-McCartney, a clinical adviser to the College of Optometrists, and Sarah Smith - a research optometrist who's studied the environmental impact of these...

Is it worth paying more for premium car tyres? There's a huge range of car tyres to choose from and the price differences between them can be significant. So do you really need to pay more to get a good tyre? Listener Ian runs a car maintenance business and wants to know if the budget tyres he's been fitting are the right choice. Will they last as long and be just as safe? What do the different ratings on the labels you can see online mean? And as he moves towards electric cars he's also keen...

Lots of different types of period products claim to be eco friendly, from menstrual cups to period pants and reusable pads. But how do their environmental credentials stack up? That's what listener Sam wants to know - and she's not the only one asking about not just the impact of these so called sustainable period products on planetary health, but also on women's health too. Joining Sam and Greg for this one are Natalie Fee, founder of the non profit City to Sea, who campaigns for...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Which is the cream of the crop for your health and the planet? The supermarket shelves are fairly bulging with plant-based options for people who either prefer not to drink cow's milk or can't for health reasons like an allergy. Some have been around for a while - like soy, almond and the current best-seller in the UK, oat - but there are newer additions to consider like hazelnut, hemp and a drink made from dried peas. Listener Sian wants to know if these milk alternatives are better for her...

Millions of us use fitness tracker watches to count how many steps we take each day - they also claim to tell us how we're sleeping and how stressed we are, as well as a host of other metrics. But how accurate are they - and are they the best thing since Sliced Bread? We've had loads of requests from you to look into fitness trackers. So with multiple watches on each arm, Greg's being put through his paces at Loughborough University under the watchful eye of Dr James Sanders, senior research...

What cookware is best for your kitchen? There is a bewildering array of pots and pans on offer: stainless steel saucepans, cast iron skillets, even 10-in-1 cookware systems that use layers of various materials. But do they deliver on their promises to help you reach culinary bliss? Listener Emily wants to know if the ones she's seen live up to the hype or are just marketing BS. What do all the materials do? What about cleaning them? And just what is the much-vaunted 'hot spot' that lights up...