As Ever's items have been developed in partnership with Netflix following last month’s release of the Duchess' cooking show, With Love, Meghan. Photo / Netflix
As Ever's items have been developed in partnership with Netflix following last month’s release of the Duchess' cooking show, With Love, Meghan. Photo / Netflix
Eight products including £11 ($25.05) jars of jam marked as sold out on website within half an hour of going live.
The Duchess of Sussex has revealed the prices for her lifestyle brand, including wildflower honey with honeycomb priced at US$28 (£21.60 or $48.88).
The As Ever range also includes a US$14 (£10.80 or $24.44) jar of raspberry jam and flower sprinkles for US$15 (£11.60 or $26.19).
The goods, which also include shortbread and crepe mixes, both costing US$14 (£10.80 or $24.44), and various herbal tea mixes for US$12 (£9.30 or $20.95) each, went on sale in the United States on Wednesday and the entire product range appeared to have sold out within 30 minutes of going live.
A well-placed source told The Telegraph that the items would be made available in small quantities and quickly marked as sold out to generate interest, which is a common marketing ploy.
The Duchess’ first collection, comprising eight products, is described as “a glimpse” into her approach to “elevated, everyday living and is inspired by her long-lasting love of cooking, entertaining and hostessing with ease”.
As Ever's entire product range appeared to have sold out within 30 minutes of going live. Photo / @aseverofficial
The items have been developed in partnership with Netflix following last month’s release of the first series of her cooking show, With Love, Meghan.
Netflix is understood to have taken charge of the whole production of the As Ever range.
The 43-year-old has described the launch as a “pivotal moment” in her most recent As Ever newsletter, writing that the jam’s packaging can be repurposed.
She said: “Of course, you’ll find the raspberry spread that started it all presented in keepsake packaging that you can repurpose to tuck away love notes or special treasures, and to remember this pivotal moment with me. Think of it as our time capsule.
“I hope when you see what I’ve worked so hard to create, you’re encouraged to know that whatever life brings, you can do it too.”
On Wednesday morning, it was announced the Duchess’ products will be available to ship throughout the United States “with plans to expand globally”.
She shared a video of her and her mother, Doria Ragland, 68, making a “special” banana pudding inspired by her grandmother’s recipe to celebrate the launch of As Ever.
Addressing some of the criticism her daughter has faced in the wake of the new Netflix series, Ragland said: “Everyone is coming in hot these days.”
The eight products in the new range are described as “the staples Meghan turns to time and again in her own kitchen and daily life”, adding that they are designed to “infuse warmth, beauty, and intention into daily rituals”.
The press release added that new collections will be released by As Ever “seasonally,” with new iterations “inspired by Meghan’s personal essence”.
As Ever’s first launch was accompanied by the announcement of a new chief operating officer for the brand, Melissa Kalimov, who is described as having “over 15 years of experience in scaling brands”.
The Duchess also advertised the sale with multiple posts on her personal Instagram account, which is followed by 2.6 million people.
On Tuesday night, she shared a video of her dancing while cooking, writing: “From the start to the finish. What an adventure it’s been. One more sleep!”
The Duchess also thanked “the fellas who have been with me on every creative endeavour for over a decade”, including makeup artist Daniel Martin, who featured in her TV series, and photographer Jake Rosenberg.
The series was widely panned by reviewers, resulting in Ted Sarandos, the co-chief executive officer of Netflix, coming to her defence and insisting that she was “underestimated”.
Criticism ranged from her “ostentatious” use of expensive Le Creuset pots to her viral correction of Mindy Kaling calling her “Meghan Markle” rather than “Sussex”.
In an interview with New York Times (NYT) Food ahead of her first lifestyle product collection going on sale, Meghan said that her new brand “is a way I can connect my home life and my work”, adding: “I need to work, and I love to work.”
The newspaper reports that she is “hoping to do that without feeding the fires of tabloid headlines and online gossip”.
In response to reports the Duchess makes her staff check social media comments about her, the NYT said: “Befitting a global brand chief, members of her team comb comment sections and social media so she doesn’t have to.”
The newspaper also described her as being “dismayed” that her jams – the product that “started it all” – have to be labelled as “fruit spreads” because of US Food and Drug Administration regulations.
Meghan's series was widely panned by reviewers. Photo / Netflix
The Duchess has faced trademark challenges since the inception of the brand and was forced to change its initial name from American Riviera Orchard to As Ever after the name was initially denied.
When it’s just her and the children for dinner, she later said, she will often ditch the cooking entirely and rely on heating up vege burgers, chicken nuggets and Tater Tots at home.
The Telegraph revealed that the Duchess believes her new business ventures will make her extremely wealthy.
As well as the sale of her food products, the Duchess has also launched an online shop where her followers can emulate her style by snapping up high-end clothes and accessories.
She will receive commission on some, but not all, of the products featured, and a well-placed source said the Duchess “thinks she’s going to be a billionaire” with a hired team of executives that she believes can get her there.
