An easy way to make even the simplest dishes taste delicious, butter can be enjoyed slathered on bread like its own topping, melted over a jacket potato, or used for a delicious homemade baked treat. As versatile as it is tasty, the best slabs of butter belong everywhere from lunchbox sandwiches to the more sophisticated butter boards.

Like other food items, the cost of butter has risen around 19 per cent in the past year alone, so it's worth knowing which brands are worth their salt. These days, it’s rare to find a block of butter (not counting the spreadable tub varieties) for under £2, with most hovering just a few pence shy of £3.

Butter is no longer criticised as it once was, leading to far more choice. Margarine used to be seen as the healthier choice because of butter’s saturated fat and its association with higher cholesterol, but today, butter is recognised as something that can be enjoyed in moderation within a balanced, healthy diet.

In fact, butter is reprising its role as kitchen stalwart, with Waitroses’ sales of its Essentials salted butter up 16 per cent compared with last year, while flavoured butter has also grown in popularity, with Worldpanel trend data showing a 24 per cent increase in UK sales over the past 12 months.

And, as the queen of cooking, Nigella Lawson shows, it’s at its best on toast. I usually go for salted butter, but Nigella prefers unsalted, spreading it in two layers so the second leaves little un-melted blobs, and finishing it with a sprinkle of sea salt flakes. If her slightly more elaborate method works, plain salted butter works perfectly too (for simplicity, this guide focuses on salted butter).

If all this butter talk has piqued your appetite, read on for the top supermarket picks right now. After plenty of tasting and countless slices of toast, I’ve rounded up the most delicious options to add to your basket.

Read more: We taste-tested the best supermarket olive oils

Read more: Best supermarket cheddars, taste-tested for tang and creaminess

  • Bestsupermarket butter overall
  • Weight250g
  • Place of originSomerset
  • SaltedYes
  • OrganicNo
  • Why we love it- Made in Somerset
  • Uses Maldon sea salt flakes
  • Less than £3

From Sainsbury's premium range, Taste the Difference, this very bright yellow butter was the one I just kept going back to. It's made in Somerset with some equally premium ingredients, including Maldon sea salt, which gives it a great level of salty flavour. The farmhouse style refers to it following a slower churning process, usually using a higher-quality whey cream from leftover cheese production, instead of fresh whey.

It's really great tasting with a delicious savoury tang and a very obvious salting to it. It's creamy, rich and has a lovely, almost whipped-like texture without being greasy. It’s a fantastic option for an indulgent slather on toast.

  • Bestcreamy supermarket butter
  • Weight200g
  • Place of originIreland
  • SaltedYes
  • OrganicNo

  • Why we love it- Uses milk from grass-fed cows

  • Take note- Slightly smaller block than most

Perhaps one of the most famous high-quality butters around, Kerry Gold is instantly recognisable for its shimmering gold wrapper and its bright Irish-green logo. It dates back to the 1960s when it was created as a flagship of quality Irish produce that was exported around the world, before it was even available in Ireland a few years later.

What sets this butter apart is that it's made from the milk of grass-fed cows, and Ireland is home to some of the lushest and most fertile grass around, which gives it the creamy (almost velvety, but not greasy) texture and taste. Surprisingly, it's not the brightest yellow, but it's wonderfully morish and not overpoweringly salty. Its only tiny downfall is that it's a smaller block than most others.

  • Bestlocally-produced butter
  • Weight250g
  • Place of originCornwall
  • SaltedYes
  • OrganicNo
  • Why we love it- Delicious flavour
  • Made in Cornwall
  • Bright yellow

  • Two star Great Taste awarded

  • Take note- Might be too tangy for some

One of the brightest yellow butters, this is one of the newcomers to the supermarket shelves, which you might have seen in Sainsbury’s, Tesco or Morrisons. Winner of two-star Great Taste Awards, it comes from a dairy near the small village of Lostwithiel, Cornwall, which partners with local farms, all within Cornwall and a 25-mile radius.

Often reduced, this is a premium butter with an affordable price tag. It's an excellent everyday option that’s gently salted. It is a richer butter than some, with a complex flavour, a slight savoury taste and nice tang. Plus, it’s supremely easy to spread.

  • Bestspreadable supermarket butter
  • Weight200g
  • Place of originWiltshire, UK
  • SaltedYes
  • OrganicNo
  • Why we love it- Very easy to spread

  • Farmer-owned

  • Take note- Has a slight greasiness to it

  • Only 200g

Anchor is perhaps one of the most recognisable butter brands from the supermarket shelves that everyone will have bought at one point, especially as the brand has been around since 1886. It's made in the UK, specifically Wiltshire, and what sets this butter apart is that it's been double churned, which gives it a creamier taste. Plus, it's farmer-owned too.

It’s very easy to spread, has a creamy richness to it, is subtly salted, and is one of the more affordable in the list.

  • Bestethical supermarket butter
  • Weight200g
  • Place of originSomerset
  • SaltedYes
  • OrganicYes
  • Why we love it- Organic

  • The brand is famous for its high welfare standards

  • Take note- Slightly smaller block

Based in Somerset, Yeo Valley has made a name for itself as the UK's go-to organic dairy producer, which has been running since the 1970s. Its name comes from the river that runs through the farm, and the brand's USP is not only being organic, but also that it follows excellent ethical and sustainable practices, such as having very high animal welfare standards and using renewable energy.

The milk comes from cows that roam freely across the farm and graze on clover-rich pasture. This gives it a great yellow hue, plus it's creamy, well salted without being over the top and is an excellent all-rounder. And for the price, at just over £3 (though it is 200g, not 250g), I think considering it's organic, and it’s high standards, it's a very good buy and is one to bulk buy when it’s on offer.

  • Besteveryday supermarket butter
  • Weight250g
  • Place of originUK
  • SaltedYes
  • OrganicNo

  • Why we love it- One of the lowest prices

  • Take note- Quite mild and pale

  • Not a huge amount of flavour

Sainsbury's British butter is one of the milder butters on the list. It doesn't have a huge noticeable flavour, which might sound like a negative, but it certainly will appeal to some who prefer something plainer.

It's the cheapest on the list, beating M&S’s own salted butter by a single penny, which means it's a great go-to for everyday use, especially if you're a household that uses a lot of butter for sandwiches or just has a generous butter-user among you.

  • BestFrench supermarket butter
  • Weight250g
  • Place of originBrittany, France
  • SaltedYes
  • OrganicNo
  • Why we love it- Creamy
  • Tangy

  • Made with sea salt crystals

  • Take note- Expensive

One of the best things about going to France is the butter. And it’s even better when you can get that at home. French butter differs not only in geographical location, but also in that it usually has a higher butterfat content (meaning more richness and less water), creating more of a tangy flavour. It's also usually slower churned, and creates a more artisanal product. Waitrose’s No.1 French butter has been made following a traditional Breton recipe and is perfect for spreading over crusty baguettes, layering with gooey brie or dipping into homemade minestrone.

Waitrose’s No 1 range consistently creates excellent products, and any butter that has ‘crystals’ in the name is highly likely to be very, very good.

This one was quite pale compared to some others, but undeniably very French – it's obviously creamy, with a slight tang. It's very indulgent and is absolutely one to slather on toast on slow mornings to fully enjoy it.

  • Bestsubtly salted supermarket butter
  • Weight250g
  • Place of originCornwall
  • SaltedYes
  • OrganicYes
  • Why we love it- Organic

  • Subtle salt

  • Take note- The most expensive on the list

This Waitrose butter is organic and supports the Duchy, which means the money you spend has real buying power to do good. The company supports important causes both environmentally and humanitarian, which totals around £3m each year.

It’s very lightly salted and is best for those who like a subtle butter. It is the most expensive on the list, and while it's a nice and balanced butter, there isn't any overt difference in taste that makes it stand out from other similar organic and priced butters, bar from its worthy Duchy connections.

  • Bestslightly salted organic supermarket butter
  • Weight250g
  • Place of originUK
  • SaltedYes
  • OrganicYes
  • Why we love it- Organic

  • Good for people who like lighter salting

  • Take note- Not overly salted

  • On the more expensive end

For those who like salted butter, but only a touch of salt added, Sainsbury's slightly salted so organic butter is a great option. As it says on the packet, this butter has just been slightly salted, so there's just a hint of it. It's very delicate, has a pretty mild taste, but is still creamy.

It's not overly complex and is slightly sweet, too. It's Soil Association certified organic, and is made using milk from organic British cows, which the brand says are reared to high welfare standards.

  • Bestcheap supermarket butter
  • Weight250g
  • Place of originUK
  • SaltedYes
  • OrganicNo
  • Why we love it- Affordable price
  • Great for everyday and large families

It's not often you think of M&S and think ‘cheap’ when it comes to food or any essentials, but at £2, this is about as affordable as it gets for decent blocks of butter. Lightly salted and not too overpowering, this is a great everyday butter that isn't too salty or sweet, and is 'just right'.

It's made using milk from M&S selected farms, it's creamy, balanced and is great for your pre-work morning round of toast.

  • Bestbutter with chunky salt
  • Weight250g
  • Place of originUK
  • SaltedYes
  • OrganicNo
  • Why we love it- Sea salt crystals are great

  • Less than £2

  • Take note- Crystals could be too salty for some

From Tesco’s Finest range, this butter certainly looks the part with its sophisticated silver and blue wrapper that could easily pass off as a French butter, and inside is pretty good too.

It's a nicely balanced butter, made in the West Country, that's elevated with chunky salt crystals (as chunky as salt crystals get, that is), giving is an excellent little zing when you come across a crystal.

  • Bestluxurious supermarket butter
  • Weight250g
  • Place of originCornwall
  • SaltedYes
  • OrganicNo
  • Why we love it- Made in Cornwall

  • Includes Cornish sea salt

  • Take note- On the more expensive end

Reliable M&S has some of the best products on the high street, and the gold butter with sea salt butter is one of them. It's incredibly delicious and indulgent, and once you know that it's made by the producers of one of Cornwall's most famous exports, you'll understand why. It comes from Rodda's, where arguably the best clotted cream is made, and was the brightest yellow butter on test. The butter is traditionally churned in small batches and given the final touch of adding in Cornish sea salt, so it’s full of salt crystals, which I love.

Not only is this ultra creamy, but its supreme Cornish sea salt gives it an excellent touch of luxury too. This is a butter to savour – especially as it's one of the more expensive. It also looks great as it has the traditional ridges that make it look like butter pats (traditional wooden tools) have been used to shape the butter.

  • BestJersey supermarket butter
  • Weight250g
  • Place of originJersey
  • SaltedYes
  • OrganicNo

  • Why we love it- Delicious flavour

  • Take note- Could be too salted for some

The little island of Jersey is well-known for its creamy milk and rich dairy products. And this M&S butter is made on the island – and is literally a taste of the island too, specifically in the parish of Trinity, where it’s churned.

It's well salted (quite generously so), but it's still balanced. And owing to its creamy milk, there's a complexity and a slight tang to it. It's another fantastic butter for slow weekend breakfasts and multiple rounds of toast.