Meghan Markle’s ‘homemade’ jam sparks debate after factory production revelation

Meghan Markle’s new lifestyle brand As Ever has come under scrutiny after revelations that her widely promoted “homemade” raspberry jam is actually produced in a factory located 2,000 miles from her Montecito home.

New reports reveal the product is mass-produced in an Illinois-based factory operated by The Republic of Tea

Marketed as inspired by a recipe “crafted in her home kitchen,” the Duchess of Sussex’s £6.50-a-jar raspberry spread was featured in Instagram videos showing Meghan stirring jam at her California residence, with her daughter Princess Lilibet praising it as “beautiful.”

The Republic of Tea, headquartered in Larkspur, California, has also been responsible for producing other As Ever products, including £9 herbal teas and £20 orange blossom honey. The same facility manufactures a “strawberry and wild rose” preserve in partnership with Netflix’s Bridgerton: a show the Sussexes are also affiliated with through their Netflix deal.

A source close to Meghan confirmed that the Republic of Tea is behind her As Ever raspberry spread, although they noted the supplier is set to change. “They started with the version Meghan makes at home and worked to develop a version of it that could be produced at scale,” the source said.

However, critics may be taking it a tad too far.

"Meghan keeps mistaking image for infrastructure. Her career is a series of launches, never landings. Spotify gone. Netflix flailing. The Archewell foundation reportedly haemorrhaging staff and momentum. It’s all motion, no traction. But jam, oddly, exposes the core problem more than anything else," says X user Samara Gill.

"Meghan wants to be adored like Diana, respected like Michelle Obama, and consumed like Kim Kardashian. But she’s none of them. She’s trying to be palatable to everyone and in the process, believable to no one. The truth is, people don’t hate Meghan because she married a prince or wrote on bananas or ‘made’ jam. They’re tired of being told she’s REAL when everything about her feels eerily algorithmic."

In response to the reports, Netflix stated, “Netflix and As Ever take pride in working with best-in-class vendors that meet our high standards for exceptional products. We're looking forward to continued success as we expand and release more As Ever products throughout the year and beyond.”

The backlash comes in the wake of the As Ever product drop on June 20, which generated over 500,000 visits to the brand’s website.

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