You never know what you miss until a giant crumpet passes you by

Holly Baxter used to eat an entire pack as a weekend treat, but now she’s overseas not a single crumb comes her way

The Americans have not yet created something that elevates butter the way a crumpet can (Getty)

I was walking down the street in Bed-Stuy with my partner the other day when we were almost sliced in half at the crossing by a truck. Stepping back onto the pavement, I gasped and pointed at what was on its side. E, thinking I was traumatised by our recent brush with death, just nodded and said, “Yeah, yeah, I know”, but I wasn’t trying to make a point about the quality of the trucker’s driving. Instead, I was transfixed by the image speeding past me at 40mph: a large, delicious, just-at-the-point-of-the-butter-melting crumpet.

You never know exactly what you’ll miss when you leave the UK. I thought I’d crave salt and vinegar crisps (the flavour just doesn’t exist beyond British shores) or a good roast dinner – and every now and then, I do. But those gaps can be plugged with truffle fries, buffalo pretzel pieces, veggie chicken and waffles, jalapeño mac and cheese, crab and mango tacos, Korean barbecue fusion – once those become part of your repertoire, craving a couple of roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings starts feeling like pining after an ex who your friends always told you wasn’t worth it. 

Then there are the things you suddenly find are worth way more than you ever could have imagined.