Britain’s most expensive hamper goes for 50 grand

Struggling for gift ideas for the gastronome in your life? Got a spare 50 grand burning a hole in your pocket? Then Vivat Bacchus has the solution – Britain’s most expensive hamper. Yes, the South African themed Bistro and delicatessen in Farringdon has thrown together a selection of exclusive wines and gourmet treats that, for a mere £50,000, offers the city’s well heeled a chance to truly impress this Christmas.

The hamper, which trumps Fortnum and Mason’s £20,000 offering was conceived when a wealthy customer commissioned an exclusive hamper and on request of a budget suggested a health £50,000. Co-owner Neleen Strauss proceeded to compile a selection of 22 fine wines, including the prized 2000 Meinert Merlot (recently served to the assembled notables at Nelson Mandela’s 85th birthday party), a £15,000 bottle of Romanee Conti 1970, considered one of the finest burgundies in the world a 1959 Chateau d'Yquem dessert wine worth £2,400.

Between glasses of staggeringly expensive fine wine the lucky recipients of the Vivat Bacchus hamper can tuck into a leg of the “Rolls Royce” of hams San Joselito (available for around £850),  a kg of Royal Beluga caviar (£3,400), various truffles and cheeses and to round things off how about a drop of £2000 Richard Hennessy cognac. Thus far three hampers have apparently been snapped up including a couple by one lawyer, one for her husband and one for her PA.  

Here are a few suggestions for those who like the idea of a hamper but are sadly restricted by a slightly less extravagant budget:

Fortnum & Mason

As mentioned above Fortnum’s special edition Tercenturian hamper can be yours for a now relatively reasonable seeming £20,000 but the regular range is even more affordable, the still rather lavish Family Christmas Hamper is a mere £200 and contains such treats as 4 bottles of wine (including Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Champagne), a St James Christmas pudding, Goose Terrine and a selection of chocolates.  

Whisk Hampers

Available online at Notonthehighstreet.com, a virtual treasure trove of novel gift ideas, the Kitchen Confidential hamper from Whisk is ideal for the more hands on gourmet, containing a host of intriguing ingredients such as balsamic vinegar, dried alpine porcini and rustico di sicilia olive oil together with a rather attractive olive wood pestle and mortar. The Kitchen Confidential Cooks Hamper is £99.50 from Notonthehighstreet.com.

Brindisa

The renowned purveyors of gourmet Spanish food offer a fine range of hampers, each crammed with a tempting selection of tapas style goodies. You could even splash out on an impressive whole ham such as the fabled Joselito (see above) that inspired the famous Spanish chef Ferran Adrià to claim somewhat dramatically “Mi vida es Joselito” (my life is Joselito).

Interflora

Britain’s leading florist has branched so that you can now supplement your Christmas flowers with one of their wide selection of Christmas hampers. The collection ranges from the modest Merry Christmas tray at £29.99 to the extravagantly proportioned Ultimate Christmas Banquet at £350.