Business Daily

Tabasco sauce has been around since 1868, Lea and Perrins’ Worcestershire Sauce since 1837. So how have these brands managed to survive for so long?

David Reid explores why some brands outlive their founders by more than a century.

David speaks to Harold Osborn, CEO of McIlhenny Company which makes Tabasco.

Patrick Barwise, emeritus professor of management and marketing at London Business School explains what happened when Coca Cola tried to 'tweak' their recipe.

Samir Nanji, spokesperson at KraftHeinz who now own Lea and Perrins, explains the history of the sauce - and how an early batch didn't go too well.

And Jake Burger, cocktail expert from Portabello Road Gin and The Ginstitute explains how Angostura Bitters outlasted prohibition to become a bar staple.

(Image: Tabasco sauce bottle. Credit: Getty)

For years women working in certain jobs, such as banking or retail, have had to wear high heels as part of the company’s dress code. But now women around the world are fighting for the right to choose their own shoes at work.

Elizabeth Semmelhack, the director and senior curator of the Bata Shoe Museum in the Canadian city of Toronto tells us the history of the high heel and its journey from the battlefield to the boardroom.

Ally Murphy, a former flight attendant, describes the pain caused to cabin crew who are made to wear high heels at work.

Nicola Thorp, who led a campaign in the UK to make it illegal for companies to force workers to wear high heels, says many companies are now changing their shoe policies because they don’t want the bad publicity.

Change is slower in Japan, however, where supporters of the #KuToo movement continue to campaign against mandatory high heels at work. The BBC’s Singapore correspondent, Mariko Oi, who is from Japan, tells us how corporate dress and expectations are still firmly embedded into Japanese culture.

Then we travel to the Indian capital, Delhi, to find out if the pandemic has changed companies’ attitudes to workwear there.

Presenter/producer: Jo Critcher

Music courtesy of Dorian Electra: "The Dark History of High Heels"

(Image: woman suffering from foot pain; Credit: Getty Images)

As Ukraine seemingly makes dramatic advances on the battlefield, we look at what this may say about the situation inside Russia itself. Military analysts are describing what seems to be a depleted Russian military machine, lacking in morale, but also possibly lacking in the kinds of military equipment it needs to sustain its war effort. One estimate in August put the loss of hardware (not including missiles) at $16 billion. That's hard to replace, given the supply problems and falling growth brought about by wide-ranging western economic sanctions.

We look inside the country at the way the economy is progressing, with the thoughts of one Russian business-owner, Dmitry Nechaev, and from western-based economists, Sergei Guriev at Sciences Po University in Paris, and Elina Ribakova, deputy chief economist at the International Institute of Finance. The US-based political scientist Stephen Crowley, of Oberlin College, then considers how much a weakened economy is likely to create the type of political pressure to make President Putin reassess his war strategy.

Presenter/producer: Ed Butler

(Image: Russian President Vladimir Putin at the desk in his office; Credit: BBC)

Most of Nigeria has the perfect climate for growing coconuts and yet it imports 70% of the fruit, which is widely used to make snacks, drinks and to make everything from oil to cosmetics.

With demand for coconuts increasing both domestically and around the world, plans are now afoot to make Nigeria self-sufficient in coconut production.

Ijeoma Ndukwe travels to a farm two-hours from the Nigerian capital Abuja to see how Ray Davies and her husband, retired army Major General John Davies, have branched out into coconut farming.

We also hear from Nma Okoroji, president of the National Coconut Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (Nacoppman) - they support farmers and are encouraging more people to go into coconut production.

Farmers are struggling to access the best seeds for production - Abiodun Oyelekan, who runs a two-and-a-half-hectare farm in Badagry, explains the importance of 'hybrid' seeds.

Lagos state government's Coconut Development Authority (Lascoda) general manager Dapo Olakulehin talks about the challenge of helping the coconut sector to boost productivity and to become more commercial.

And Ebun Feludu - the founder of JAM The Coconut Food Company, which makes premium products from the fruit explains why she believes basic infrastructure must be improved.

Presenter/producer: Ijeoma Ndukwe

(Image: Ebun Feludu. Credit: BBC)

Salaries are often kept secret in most workplaces - but times are changing.

The BBC’s Deborah Weitzmann discusses implications for pay transparency policies and the gender wage gap.

Deborah visits Flash Pack, a travel firm in London where staff members are open about their salaries. She travels to New York City where employers are preparing for a new law requiring them to post clear salary bands in job listings later this year - following the US state of Colorado. She speaks to Scott Goldshine, general manager of Manhattan-based deli Zabars.

Deborah also hears from salary expert David Turetsky about why some people find conversations around pay difficult, and Dr Grace Lordan from the London School of Economics explains how openness about pay might benefit women and address the gender pay gap.

Presented and produced by Deborah Weitzmann.

(Image: An office meeting. Credit: Getty)

Can an app, founded by a former monk, become one of the biggest tech companies in the world?

Russ Glass, the chief executive of Headspace Health, takes Leanna Byrne behind the scenes in one of the biggest mergers in mental health technology.

We get an insight into Headspace Health’s global expansion plans both online and offline; how people turned to mental health technology with the uncertainty of Covid; and how employers could soon be using its staff’s mental health data to make company wide policies.

Presenter/producer: Leanna Byrne

(Image: woman listening to headphones whilst meditating. Credit: Getty)

As Europe’s historically dry summer continues, Matthew Kenyon takes a trip on the barge Mezzoforte, and talks to skipper Dirk Pols about the challenges of navigating as river depths fall.

We hear from Cornelis van Dorsser of the Dutch Inland Shipping Association about how the industry is preparing for the continued impacts of climate change.

Economist Saskia Meuchelböck tells us about the economic effects of the last major dry period, just four years ago, when a month of low water on the Rhine knocked 0.4% off Germany’s GDP, and hydrologist Saskia Werners explains how barge captains, industry, importers and the public have to expect more of the same.

Presenter / producer: Matthew Kenyon

Italy’s famous floating city has a problem - too many tourists are visiting Venice during the high season. The city authorities recently announced a plan to charge day-visitors a €10 tax during the busiest periods. But many are sceptical about the plan, saying it doesn’t go far enough to address over-tourism.

The BBC’s Vivienne Nunis joins the crowds in St Mark’s Square to assess what can be done when a holiday destination becomes a victim of its own success. And she explores how other popular destinations such as Hawaii and the Isle of Skye in Scotland are addressing the problem.

Producer: Vera Mantengoli

(Image: A gondola in Venice. Credit: BBC)

Do people who use social media need to be more resilient? Thats the question Sam Fenwick asks former Twitter executive, Bruce Daisley. For eight years he ran Twitter's business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He then became a writer and consultant on better working practices. In his latest book, Fortitude: Unlocking the Secrets of Inner Strength, he examines what makes people resilient.

Presenter: Sam Fenwick

(Photo: Bruce Daisley with kind permission)

The Netherlands has long been almost totally reliant on gas to heat people's homes. But as Europe tries to wean itself off domestic gas, something made more urgent by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and by soaring energy prices, the country is trying to lead the way in tackling the necessary energy transition.

Matthew Kenyon hears from Michaela Holl of think-tank Agora Energiewende on the Netherlands’ political strategy and from Energiesprong’s Sanne de Wit about their innovative approach to renovation.

The Hague City Council’s Astrid Kennis talks about what we can all do in our homes to improve insulation and pay for the work that’s necessary. And Ruben Buna Heslinga, of Dutch housing corporation Mitros, talks about a current renovation project in Utrecht. We also hear from Lesley, a tenant in one of the newly refashioned buildings, on what she expects of her energy bills now.

Presenter / producer: Matthew Kenyon