Harrods department store, one of the largest department stores in the world at nearly 4.5 acres, opened in 1834 when Charles Henry Harrod established a grocery store in London's East End. Fifteen years later, Harrod moved his operation to Knightsbridge, near London's Hyde Park, to "escape the filth of the inner city — and capitalise on trade to the Great Exhibition of 1851."
In addition to increasing business, this move also motivated Harrod to offer a wider selection of products — previously, the store specialized in tea — ranging from medicines to perfumes to stationery. Fittingly, in that same year the company opened a food hall offering items such as fruits and vegetables and also began selling hampers during the Christmas season, a trend that has continued ever since.
Harrods Christmas baskets contain ingredients for the all-inclusive Christmas feast, including meat, cheese, fruit, chocolate, and wine. And the 2007 Chairman's Choice is no basket at all. This hamper comes in the form of a brown leather trunk.
Below you will find a list of some of the mouth-watering treats that recipients of the Chairman's Choice will receive:
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion, 1979
- Jean-Louis Chave, Hermitage, 2004
- Dom Pérignon Champagne, 1999
- Glenmorangie Whisky, 1977
- 125 grams of Beluga caviar
- Half of one truffle ham
- Raspberry and champagne truffles
- A limited-edition Christmas pudding in a ceramic bowl
- A Waterford crystal bowl
