Let battle commence - with a $48,888 hamper

Trying to find the perfect items to fill a basket of goodies for the rich and famous has become fiercely competitive this Christmas, with hotels, department stores and bakeries trying to outdo each other as the economy recovers.

So far, Sogo department store seems to have come out on top with the most expensive hamper.

The $48,888 basket, which took two days to put together, contains luxurious goodies such as caviar, bird's nest and truffles. But the hamper's most expensive item is the 1985 bottle of Chateau Le Pin red wine from France, which is worth $19,970. It is the only bottle in Hong Kong and the company would not offer another one this year, according to Anita Kwok Kam-tai, department manager of Sogo Gourmet and Freshmart.

'We took a risk in trying out a high-end hamper this year because we're hoping the economy will be robust this Christmas and Lunar New Year holiday,' she said.

'We want to see whether we receive more orders for these products.'

Sogo is not the only one taking a leap into the upscale hamper market. Island Shangri-La has started selling a $19,888 'Imperial Collection' hamper, which comes with favourites such as sea cucumber, abalone and ginseng.

Cova entered the field last year with its 'Christmas Diamond' hamper costing $23,888.