Britain | Machines

Where are all the British robots?

Firms’ small size is the biggest barrier to automation

Tomato slicing machine in a Greencore factory.
Cutting edgePhotograph: Greencore

Sarnies and precision engineering may seem to be worlds apart. But Greencore, Britain’s largest sandwich-maker, spends £20m ($25m) on industrial robots annually. They peel, slice and stone avocados. They cut wraps and baguettes in half using ultrasonic knives. They place slices of bread above fillings. They also help make sushi.

Explore more

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Where are all the robots?”

From the April 20th 2024 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

Discover more

Someone with their eyes blindfolded

Are British voters as clueless as Labour’s intelligentsia thinks? 

How the idea of false consciousness conquered the governing party

A nurse attending to a pateient behind curtains, the light coming through the blinds

Blighty newsletter: Starmer’s silence puts the assisted-dying bill at risk


The best British companies to work for to get ahead

A new ranking of firms by pay, promotions and hiring practices


How the best British employers find and promote their staff

No degree? Some employers care much less than others

A tiny island fights the scourge of plastic on the beach

A Northern Irish experiment in recycling

A sticking-plaster policy for Britain’s strained courts

Magistrates get more power. Will they get punch-drunk on it?