The Factory Next Door
By Steve Duke
What’s on your list of the greatest products made in Britain? Join journalist Steve Duke as he criss-crosses the island to meet our makers in their factories and workshops.
Whilst compiling our list, we hear stories of people pursuing perfection, tales of difficult times, and words of hope. Ultimately, this show is for the dreamers and the optimists.
Each episode focuses on one product that gets submitted into the garden shed of greatness – we’ll keep going until the shed is full.
Winner of the Best Business Show at the Independent Podcast Awards 2024.
After tuning in, please consider buying me a coffee to keep this show on the road
https://buymeacoffee.com/thefactorynextdoor
instagram/thefactorynextdoor
Whilst compiling our list, we hear stories of people pursuing perfection, tales of difficult times, and words of hope. Ultimately, this show is for the dreamers and the optimists.
Each episode focuses on one product that gets submitted into the garden shed of greatness – we’ll keep going until the shed is full.
Winner of the Best Business Show at the Independent Podcast Awards 2024.
After tuning in, please consider buying me a coffee to keep this show on the road
https://buymeacoffee.com/thefactorynextdoor
instagram/thefactorynextdoor
Latest episode
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26. The Sparkling Wine
Making sparkling wine is an old craft that’s found a new home. The French (and other European nations) may have been producing it for 300 years, but since the start of the 21st century, the UK has become an increasingly significant player. On this we… -
25. The Coachbuilt Car
Cars are made by robots – often articulated robots that resemble giant human arms… except, there’s a tiny percentage of cars that are still made using real human arms. On this week’s The Factory Next Door we head to the Malvern Hills to meet the team… -
24. The Selvedge Jeans
More than three billion pairs of denim jeans are made every year. But not all jeans are made the same. Just 10% are produced using selvedge denim - a denim that takes more time to weave and is significantly longer lasting. The UK may account for only… -
23. The Inflatable Lifeboat
Since 1824, if you’ve got into difficulties on the British coastline, volunteers from the RNLI will race to your aid. They’ll arrive in a distinctive bright orange boat. A boat built in Britain. Number 23 on our list of the greatest things we make in… -
22. The Space Satellite
In a leafy science park in Surrey, there’s a team of engineers making something that’s not intended for our world – it’s designed to live in space. Number 22 on our list of the greatest things we make in Britain is The Space Satellite. In this week’s… -
21. The Cotton Shirt
A thread runs across the shoulders of King Charles, Stormzy, and David Gandy, and leads to the city of Gloucester. There, in a beautiful 18th century house, you can find Emma Willis and her skilled team making shirts for royalty, celebrities and anyo… -
Bonus Ep. Evan Davis
For this special episode of the show, we sit down for a chat with journalist and broadcaster Evan Davis. Before becoming presenter of Radio 4’s PM programme, Evan was the BBC’s Economics Editor. In 2011, he presented a documentary series, and wrote a… -
20. The Horse Saddle
The world’s biggest exporter of horse saddles and harnesses? China. Today it accounts for almost half the entire global market. But British-made saddles are still celebrated for their craftsmanship, and they are still in demand - particularly from ri… -
19. The Teddy Bear
This year we’re on course to spend a billion-pounds on stuffed toys and dolls in the UK. The vast majority will arrive in shipping containers, but a small, select group of stuffed toys will be born on our island.Number 19 on our list of the greatest … -
18. The Linen Jacket
In East London, at a former Burberry factory, jackets and shirts are being manufactured with a unique twist – every element of them, from the buttons to the labels, the thread to the cloth, has been produced within the British Isles.In this week’s ep…
