We've seen it recently with Take That tickets, where they sold out so quickly that a thriving eBay market sprung up offering them at - sometimes - huge mark-ups. However, little did we know that the next bidding sensation would come in such a tasty guise.

Heston Blumenthal's Hidden Orange Christmas Pudding, exclusively available in Waitrose and via its online shopping partner Ocado, has been advertised non-stop on British TV. In it the Michelin star-awarded Heston tantalisingly talks drooling viewers through the benefits of including a candied citrus fruit in the middle of a classic seasonal desert.

But, it's been too effective. The allocation of puds that Waitrose received was sold out faster than black turtle neck sweaters in Steve Jobs' home town.

One employee of a large London branch of the store told Pocket-lint that they had sold out of their "delivery" and they "really don't expect to get any more". It is also believed that the chain only made 2000 of the puddings originally, to service the whole of the UK.

Therefore, it seems that the only way to get your hands on one would be through eBay. Currently, one bid is £75 - a healthy profit for the seller as it was originally £13.99. There are also a flood of other postings with "Buy it now" prices of £100 and £125.

So, if you want a hidden orange Christmas pud this holiday season, it looks like you're going to have to put your hand in your pocket. Either that, or learn to bake.

Would you pay big money for your Christmas dinner? Let us know in the comments below...