Sliced Bread Podcast
While Sliced Bread takes a break we serve up... Toast. Sean Farrington examines the spectacular failures of wonder products and businesses which had promised so much.
While Sliced Bread takes a break we serve up... Toast. A study of the spectacular failures of brands which had promised so much to consumers.
In each episode, the presenter and 麻豆社 business journalist Sean Farrington examines one big idea. What did it promise? Why did people back it? Why did they get burnt?
Some of the world's most successful businesses have also brought us some of the world's most remarkable failures. So, what led them to be toast? And what can we learn from their stories today?
Sean unpicks all the early optimism, hype and ambition. He learns about the tremendous success of a brand before hearing how it faltered, with help from expert commentators and people who were directly involved. How do they view things now and what, if anything, could have been done differently?
The self-made millionaire and serial entrepreneur, Sam White, is alongside him, analysing the missteps that changed a brand's fortunes and reaching her own, often instructive, conclusions.
From big tech to high street retail and, of course, food, Toast tackles the business ideas that, one way or another, ended up cooked.
Sliced Bread returns for a new batch of investigations on 5 December, 2024. In the new series, Greg Foot will investigate more of the latest so-called wonder products to find out whether they really are the best thing since sliced bread.
In the meantime, Toast is available in the Sliced Bread feed on 麻豆社 Sounds. For this brand new series of Toast, episodes will be released weekly on Thursdays wherever you get your podcasts. But if you're in the UK, you can listen to the latest episode, a week earlier than anywhere else, on 麻豆社 Sounds first.
Toast is a 麻豆社 Audio North production for 麻豆社 Radio 4.
Episodes to download
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Toast - Reader's Digest UK
Last Thursday
Why did we lose Reader's Digest magazine when it is still going in America?
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Longevity Supplements - 100th Episode
Thu 10 Oct 2024
Can taking special supplements help us to live longer?
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Float Tanks
Thu 3 Oct 2024
Does a session in a float tank work wonders for mental health and exercise recovery?
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Dishwasher Tablets
Thu 22 Aug 2024
Do more expensive dishwasher tablets clean better? And how do eco versions stack up?
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Dough - Fridges
Thu 15 Aug 2024
Could fridges make way for cabinets that don't just keep food fresh but actually grow it?
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Dough - Hairdryers
Thu 1 Aug 2024
How do modern hairdryers protect against damage from excessive heat?
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Introducing Dough
Mon 15 Jul 2024
Sam White looks at where the smart money's going now and what it could mean in the future.
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Ear Plugs (recorded live at Hay Festival)
Thu 4 Jul 2024
Are the latest ear plugs better for gigs, focus and sleep?
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Cholesterol Lowering Products
Thu 27 Jun 2024
Can fortified drinks and spreads really reduce cholesterol?
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Sustainable Period Products
Thu 23 May 2024
What are the most eco-friendly types of period products?
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LED Face Masks
Thu 9 May 2024
Is an LED face mask the secret to brighter, clearer, more youthful skin?
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Toast - Safeway UK
Thu 2 May 2024
Why did Safeway's UK supermarkets disappear? Sean Farrington investigates.
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Toast - Green Shield Stamps
Thu 25 Apr 2024
Green Shield Stamps could be traded in for 'free' gifts so why did consumers abandon them?
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Toast - Mothercare's UK Stores
Thu 18 Apr 2024
Why did Mothercare have to close all of their UK stores?