Gregg and Chris are with the Austen family from Sussex, tackling the highest expenditure on food they've ever encountered. Mum Denise has recently had to give up work, which means the family income has reduced by a third, and yet she still raids the supermarket like she's earning her old salary. The family are guilty of stockpiling food to the point where they can't open the fridge door without items falling out. On top of that, they're utterly devoted to high-end brands.
Gregg and Chris spy on the family's weekly shop to discover Denise only buys items she finds attractive, and it's not just glossy packaging she's drawn to, but also premium-priced, premium-packaged fruit and veg. The boys are further aghast when they get back to the Austens' home and chance on the nine jars of jam in the kitchen. This is a family who desperately need to change their habits and save some serious cash.
As well as opening the Austens' eyes to tasty lower-cost products, the show features blind taste tests with the British public on mayonnaise and jam. Another of Denise's weaknesses is for sugary drinks, so Chris visits Manchester Dental Hospital to look into the impact of fruit juice, milkshakes and other soft drinks. Meanwhile, Gregg goes on the hunt for affordable cuts of meat. The show's advice is often that meat is a product worth spending money on, so Gregg wants to look into more unusual, lower-priced alternatives to costly prime steaks.
When Gregg and Chris return to Sussex for the final time, they're anxious to find out whether the family will agree to be prised from their top-end purchases. Theirs may have been a record food spend, but will it be a record saving for the boys, or will the Austens revert to their old ways?
Michael and Ganesh help a family who have been trying but failing to
eat healthy, balanced meals since arriving in New Zealand. Will they be
able to bring together a dining table of two cultures?
