Sausages remain a staple of British cuisine - delicious in breakfast rolls, served with mash or chips, nestled into Yorkshire puddings, drenched in gravy, or grilled outside. A proper pork sausage should burst with flavour without being excessively fatty, boasting quality meat, a tasty seasoning blend, and authentic casing.

Richmond is amongst the most recognisable brands, with its sausages considered the leading option on supermarket shelves. In a bid to determine whether own-label sausages rival the branded version, Sophie Law tested five different products from major retailers. With help from five family members, she conducted a blind tasting, pitting sausages from shops including Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, M&S, and Sainsbury's against the familiar Richmond brand.

The sausages were all cooked in the air fryer for 10 minutes at 200C, with each taster scoring them from one to five. The combined scores were then added together to determine the ultimate champion.

Here are the sausages ranked from worst to best based on the blind tasting:

Coming last in the trial was the major brand choice: Richmond. Despite being the leading brand of pork bangers, they remained underwhelmed by the flavour or texture.

During the blind tasting, the sausages were described as having "no taste or texture," being "very soft and salty," and "tasteless and very rusky."

Score: 12 out of 30.

Securing the second lowest score, Aldi's sausages were described as having "less flavour" and "not as much taste" compared to rival products. However, they remain the most budget-friendly option at £2.49 for a six-pack weighing 400g.

Score: 17 out of 30.

Sharing joint third place is Sainsbury's pork sausages from its Taste the Difference range. Sophie and her family discovered these to be tasty and generously proportioned, although they appeared considerably paler in colour than their competitors.

Priced at £3 for a pack of six, that's 50p per sausage.

Score: 19 out of 30.

M&S' sausages also secured joint third place alongside Sainsbury's, and whilst they boasted superior colour, they fell short on texture.

The sausages were characterised as being "chewy," and "quite fatty", with an "odd taste".

At £4.25 for a 400g pack, these represented the most expensive choice in the taste test.

Score: 19 out of 30.

Claiming second place was Lidl's pork chipolata sausages. These bangers earned points for their "good colouring" once cooked and scored highly for their "herby" flavour.

Whilst these chipolatas are slimmer in size, they ranked strongly for their flavour profile and texture. At £2.49 for 12 sausages (375g a pack), they also represent excellent value.

Score: 23 out of 30.

Last but certainly not least was the champion: Tesco's finest pork sausages. These sausages were characterised as "salty, juicy and meaty" with excellent taste and size.

In terms of price, they are a bit more expensive at £4 for a pack of four sausages, but they also boast the highest meat content: totalling 440g. The sausages themselves are also generously sized and perfect for hot dogs.

Furthermore, they tasted first-rate with a pleasing blend of seasoning - not excessively fatty or salty.

Score: 25 out of 30.