You might not think too much about your crumpet in the morning apart from what topping you're going to have. But the staff at the Warburtons bakery in Enfield - the biggest bakery in Europe - have considered every single detail about the crumpet you're about to toast, or triple toast as some do, including the exact number of holes it has.
The perfect crumpet is "nice and holey," says Luke Arnold, an official crumpet scorer and technical manager, while general manager Vasilis Nicolouzos agrees: "Soft and fluffy, a good colouring, and lots of holes". They've both worked their way up at the family-run business, which began in Bolton, Greater Manchester, in 1876 by Thomas and Ellen Warburton, who ran a grocery shop.
Luke, 37, started out 14 years ago in operations and Vas, 53, has been there "since day one" at the age of 33 and says he's done every role there is. The pair took The Mirror on a tour of the bakery for a behind-the-scenes look at how their delicious crumpets - a spongey snack that is neither bread nor pancake - are made as Warburtons have declared this week (October 17-23) as the first-ever National Crumpet Week in honour of the household favourite.
