BBC One's Inside the Factory goes behind-the-scenes to see first-hand how one of Britain's most iconic snacks, Quavers, are made at our starch plant in Leicester and manufacturing site in Lincoln.
During the episode, new presenter Paddy McGuinness takes viewers on a tour of our Lincoln factory, which has been the home of Quavers for over 50 years. Co-host Cherry Healey goes to our Leicester starch plant and, together, they explore every careful step that goes into producing each packet of the famous curly snacks.
The journey begins in Leicester, where starch is extracted from peeling and slicing potatoes used for Walkers potato crisps. This circular process continues as the starch is transported north to Lincoln, and Paddy is shown how the rest of the magic happens to create Quavers.
Paddy gets an exclusive look at how Quavers are transformed from sheets of dough, similar to lasagne sheets or tagliatelle, into light, curly snacks bursting with flavour. He also discovers how Quavers achieve their iconic musical note shape during the cooking stage, and how they are tossed through the site's large flavour drums to ensure the perfect amount of seasoning.
After an inside look at the impressive production process, Paddy explores the site's packaging and logistics operation, which gets the snacks ready to be transported from the Lincoln site to customers across the UK.
Viewers tuning into the episode will also catch a glimpse of recently-completed upgrades to the long-standing city centre site, following our £24 million investment to support rising demand for Quavers.
Upgrades made as part of the investment include the addition of a new production line, with existing machinery replaced with faster and more modern equipment. Two new compact packaging machines have also been installed, to reduce the amount of virgin plastic used in Quavers multipack outer packaging by an average of 30% when compared with previous designs. The investment will also enable training and upskilling opportunities across the site’s 200-strong workforce.
Layla Whiting, Manufacturing Director, shares her excitement:
“Quavers have long been a household favorite across the UK, so we’re thrilled to take people behind-the-scenes to see how our iconic curly snacks are crafted by our dedicated team here in Lincoln. With our recent multi-million-pound upgrade, there’s never been a better time to show everyone how we make Quavers!”
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