Crumpets are a cherished British snack, rivalling the comfort of a warm buttered slice of toast. However, they're far more intriguing than your average sliced bread.

In 2023, a staggering 2.3 million Warburtons crumpets were baked weekly, totalling an impressive 124 million crumpets annually. Having not indulged in a crumpet for years, I decided to start with the best and put them head-to-head with offerings from Aldi, Sainsbury's, and a peculiar-shaped one from Waitrose. Prices varied from 45p to £1.50, with Sainsbury's matching Aldi's price point. A top-notch crumpet should toast evenly, absorb butter like a sponge, and provide soulful comfort. Here's how it unfolded.

The classic, the original, the holy grail of crumpets. Warburtons' name is synonymous with crumpets and is often the first choice for anyone craving a comforting, butter-laden bite.

Delightfully soft and squishy without being overly firm or dense, the crumpets are just as I remember. Toasted for two minutes, I was taken aback by how little it seemed to toast, but it was evidently cooked.

The cooking time was spot on, transporting me back to my youth when I used to snack on crumpets and tea cakes. Despite my efforts to drench it in butter, it didn't soak up as much as I anticipated, leaving the sponge slightly tasteless and bland.

While the texture was pleasing, it required a dollop of butter to inject some much-needed flavour. It might not have been as flavourful as I'd recalled, but I can see why Warburtons has such a loyal following.

Score: 7/10

Aldi is a supermarket that's earned my trust, making significant strides in recent years in offering reliable, quality staples. However, their crumpets were a letdown.

Having sampled a variety of its bakery goods, the Village Bakery Crumpets didn't quite hit the mark. Tied for the cheapest crumpet on offer, the quality seemed to mirror the price tag.

The texture was disappointingly limp and sponge-like, bordering on tough straight out of the packet. I feared that toasting wouldn't miraculously render it light and fluffy - and I was correct.

Compared to the others, particularly Warburtons, its density was noticeable, even if slightly mitigated by toasting. The crumpet lacked the lightness and fluffiness I seek in this classic British treat.

However, it did toast more evenly than Warburtons, but overall, it's not one I'd trade for the original.

Score: 3/10

Among all the round crumpets, Sainsbury's were marginally larger in diameter, giving the impression of better value for money. The crumpets felt denser than Warburtons before toasting, but that didn't seem to matter once toasted.

Sainsbury's emerged as the champion of toast, crisping up the edges to perfection for a delightful crunch. It also excelled in butter absorption, requiring minimal effort to spread and infusing it with a warm, slightly salty taste.

Among all the crumpets tested, Sainsbury's was the clear winner, snatching the crown from Warburtons.

Additionally, Sainsbury's offered a nine-pack of Warburtons Crumpets on a Nectar Card deal for £1, down from £1.15. This regular price is 30p cheaper than Waitrose's price for the same product.

Score: 8/10

The first thing that struck me about Waitrose's crumpets is that the only round ones were either from its Essential range or a fancier sourdough variant. The standard crumpets came in 'people' and square shapes.

I was somewhat ambivalent about consuming 'people' filled with tiny holes, so I opted for the square shape. The unconventional design felt a tad pretentious: is it a slice of toast?

Is it a waffle? While you do get more in one crumpet, this is where it immediately falls short - the standard two-minute toasting time wasn't sufficient to cook it thoroughly, necessitating additional time.

However, an extra two minutes only highlighted its uneven cooking, with one side slightly more charred and carbon-flavoured than the other, resulting in an unpleasant bite. The rest of the crumpet was toasted adequately, but lacked the desired crispness.

One aspect that was indisputable was the airy and light texture of the crumpet's core. Waitrose certainly takes the biscuit for the most cloud-like mouthfeel.

However, the only discernible taste was the char from the toaster, leaving the rest rather uninspiring. The concept of a Toaster Crumpet sounds brilliant on paper, but in practice, it doesn't quite hit the mark.

Score 5/10