Meghan Markle’s latest move with her lifestyle brand As Ever is stirring up as much debate as attention – and it all comes down to jam, pricing, and image.
The Daily Mail piece explains that Meghan has launched a festive collection featuring her now-signature fruit spreads: the much-teased strawberry jam, a “signature” raspberry jam, and a “lively” orange marmalade. Each jar sells for $12, and there are also pre-packed sets like the Fruit Spread Trio and Signature Fruit Spread Gift Set, priced at $36 and $42. Normally, shoppers expect sets to be slightly cheaper than buying items individually – but here, some sets appear to cost the same or even more, which has raised eyebrows.
Branding expert Chad Teixeira tells the paper this strategy “defies traditional retail logic” but argues it’s likely intentional. Rather than competing as an everyday pantry product, Meghan seems to be positioning As Ever jams as a luxury lifestyle item. The real value, he suggests, isn’t just in the jam, but in buying into Meghan’s story, taste, and aesthetic. The engraved keepsake box featuring her handwriting is framed as part of that “premium” emotional experience. According to him, this is typical of celebrity-led brands – people aren’t just purchasing food, they’re buying a feeling, an identity, even a connection to the Duchess herself.
However, the article also points out how fragile that narrative can be. The Daily Mail previously reported that the “homemade” jams are actually manufactured by The Republic of Tea in a large factory in Illinois, thousands of miles from Meghan’s Montecito kitchen. A source claimed the move to outsource production was about meeting demand and making the product commercially viable, but critics see a clash between the rustic, small-batch storytelling and industrial-scale reality.
Social media users also seized on a recent promotional photo in which Meghan appears to hold jar tongs incorrectly, gripping the curved end instead of the rubber handles. Online commenters mocked this as proof she’s not actually an experienced home canner, despite her branding around loving jam and “home kitchen” inspiration.
Packaging has drawn its own backlash. The jars come in large white boxes with gold detailing that some critics call “pretentious,” comparing them to perfume boxes and questioning the environmental impact of so much extra material for a “tiny jar of spread.” Detractors argue that when the packaging looks more expensive than the product, the whole thing starts to feel like style over substance.
The piece also ties this controversy into a wider critique of Meghan’s holiday range, which includes candles referencing the “ease and joy” of her wedding day and idyllic memories of the English countryside. Some royal watchers accuse her of “rewriting history,” given the well-documented tensions, family drama, and stress surrounding her 2018 wedding.
Ultimately, the article suggests Meghan’s strategy is high-risk, high-reward. If she can successfully sell As Ever as an aspirational, emotional, story-driven brand, the unusual pricing and lavish packaging may reinforce that luxury image. But if the public focuses instead on perceived inauthenticity – factory-made “homemade” jam, awkward promo photos, and pricey boxes – the same tactics could easily backfire.
