The popularity of gift hampers could be on the rise as champagne sales in Britain have soared in recent times.

Despite the recession, it seems people are still keen to crack open a bottle of bubbly as research carried out by Nielson found sales of the beverage have swelled by 14 per cent in 2009 compared with the year before, the Grocer magazine reported.

The growth could be down to an increase in the amount of bottles sold in supermarkets at reduced costs, with some brands available for around £10.

Another factor may have been the insistence that individuals were determined to enjoy their Christmas after having saved their pennies 12 months earlier.

Sales of sparkling wines were recorded as being up by 5 per cent in volume and 11 per cent by value.

It has recently been reported that the champagne industry is also in a healthy state in Australia, as the French variety of the drink is proving very popular among natives.