Hard labour but Prescott finds perfect recipe on factory floor
British Made with John Prescott Channel 5, tonight, 8pm
FROM creamy custard in Devon and battered fish in Grimsby to crisps in the Forest of Dean, the former Labour Deputy Prime Minister is on a manufacturing journey of discovery.
Following on from John Prescott’s Made In Yorkshire, the larger-than-life politician is heading further afield and visiting the factories that make some of our nation’s favourite food and drinks.
Baron Prescott, as he has been known since 2010, turns 81 next month, but that hasn’t stopped him leaving behind his home in East Yorkshire and finding out more about how some of the UK best-loved products are made.
In the first episode, John stops off at two factories who have kept their secret recipes closely guarded for centuries. His first stop is in the heart of the West Midlands, the home of a very special sauce. Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce was first created by the Worcester chemists John Wheeley Lea and William Henry Perrins.
They devised the recipe in the 1830s when Lord Sandys – a nobleman of the area – was eager to recreate an exciting taste he had acquired on his travels to Bengal.
When Lea & Perrins was first created, it wasn’t to their liking and was set aside and forgotten.
It wasn’t until the barrels were rediscovered months later that the taste had mellowed into what we know and love today as Worcestershire Sauce.
To this day, the ingredients are allowed to ‘mature’ for 18 months at the Midland Road factory in Worcester before being blended and bottled.
Lea & Perrins sauce is now available in over 75 countries. In the UK, it is used to make the ultimate cheese on toast, while in Spain it’s used in salads, and in Hong Kong it is a dipping sauce, stir-fry sauce and beef marinade.
Despite its far-reaching impact, only a lucky few know the exact recipe for the ‘Just a dash makes all the difference’ flavour.
Can John use his charm to uncover the secret of how this uniquely British favourite is made?
Following his trip to Worcester, the presenter heads to Manchester to visit the factory responsible for another British classic.
For 80 years, Soreen’s comforting malt loaf has been a tea-time favourite in homes around the UK.
The chosen snack of many hungry hillwalkers, Soreen has over time fuelled professional footballers, rugby players and, more recently, Olympic cyclists.
Soreen’s malt loaf was the creation of Manchester-based John Sorensen, a Dane who sailed to the UK from Australia and set up shop in a Beswick bakery.
As his reputation grew, so did his fortunes, and he was bought out by Manchester oven maker Imperial Bakeries. They renamed the malt loaf Soreen as a nod to its creator.
John learns how each loaf was wrapped in greaseproof paper and decorated with the now familiar image of a bunch of grapes – and today the Original Malt Loaf is still packed with raisins.
Low in fat and rich in slow-releasing complex carbohydrates as well as fruit sugars, it’s a favourite of Olympic cycling champions Sir Chris Hoy and Laura Kenny, among others.
John dons his pinny to join the production line and is even blessed with the rare chance to create his own new and personalised flavour.
But will he name it in honour of his wife? Pauline’s Soreen has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it.