Meghan Markle has been forced to give away her As Ever apricot spread for free after a glitch during the ordering process when it went on sale.
The Duchess of Sussex’s product was one of a raft of new items that sold out within an hour last month – priced $9 a jar or $14 when in special ‘keepsake packaging’.
But it has now emerged that the spread had been oversold amid ‘high demand’ – with disappointed customers threatening ‘war’ after being offered refunds instead.
Some shoppers who won the race to buy the apricot spread – not officially called jam because of its high fruit content – have been informed that their order cannot be fulfilled. However, they will be sent a free jar when it is back in stock.
The development comes as Meghan’s new rose wine, which is said to ‘capture the essence of sun-drenched outdoor moments’, also sold out within an hour yesterday.
Meghan launched her As Ever Napa Valley Rose 2023, described as having ‘soft notes of stone fruit, gentle minerality, and a lasting finish’, at a cost of $30 a bottle.
The wine, priced at $90 for a minimum three-bottle order plus $20 shipping, had only appeared to be available for US customers to buy, with delivery addresses limited to America. The wine went on sale at 4pm UK time, but an hour later it was sold out.
As for the apricot spread error, an email from As Ever said: ‘Due to high demand, we are unable to fulfill your order of the apricot spread at this time. We are refunding the purchase of this item by the end of this week.
‘In addition to the refund, we want you to know that when the apricot spread is back in stock, you will be the first to receive it, free of charge’.
It came as Meghan picked fresh apricots from her garden in an Instagram post over the weekend – but eagle-eyed social media users soon noted that the fruit she had picked was a different colour, and much riper, than those still on the tree.
The decision has appeared maddening for some, with one customer saying: ‘Just received an email from As Ever, they are unable to fulfill my apricot order but will give me a full refund and a free replacement when it becomes available again. I only have a half a jar of my raspberry spread left. It’s war tomorrow!!!’.
Another complained: ‘I hope they fix this. At the minimum comms should be out literally on the day instead of waiting for your product for a while and being disappointed. Not a good customer experience even though the customer service is good after the fact’.
Despite the disappointment, a number of Meghan’s fans, known collectively as the Sussex Squad, have urged the Duchess of Sussex to keep their money.
One wrote: ‘I know most people will be sad getting this message but this makes me so happy! Meghan is selling out and I couldn’t be happier for her!! I don’t even want my refund, I just genuinely want Meghan to know she is so loved!’
Another said: ‘I got this one this time around for the apricot spread but I’m good. I know it’ll be sent out once available. I still got my crepe boxes and flower sprinkles. And yes, I’m soo happy for Meghan!’
Until the weekend, mystery surrounded exactly where the $9-a-jar spreads sold by the Duchess of Sussex under her As Ever brand are actually made.
The Mail previously revealed how sweet treat is manufactured by the same US giant which sells her packs of herbal tea, while also making her sold-out orange blossom honey – priced at $28 a jar.
Additionally the factory makes a ‘strawberry and wild rose’ preserve as part of a tie-up with Bridgerton – the hit series set in Regency England made by Netflix, with whom the Sussexes also have a deal.
The firm – which has the decidedly un-Royal name The Republic of Tea – is headquartered in Larkspur, California, 350 miles away from Meghan’s Montecito mansion. However, its factory is 2,000 miles away in Illinois.
With half-a-million visits to her As Ever website after the last ‘product drop’ on June 20, a tie-up with a commercial manufacturer was inevitable to satisfy customer demand.
Neither the Sussexes nor Netflix has yet confirmed exactly where the spread – currently marked on Meghan’s website as ‘coming soon’ – is made, or where the raspberries are sourced.
But a source close to the Duchess said that in order to formulate the commercially available product, they ‘started with the version Meghan makes at home and worked to develop a version of it that could be produced at scale.’
Nevertheless after months of marketing the preserve as an artisanal ‘crafted’ product, the truth will only increase scrutiny of the brand’s sustainability credentials.
Her website describes her ‘signature’ raspberry jam as ‘inspired by the recipe Meghan crafted in her home kitchen’ – and also says it was deliberately ‘crafted with a fluid texture’.
But a video shared by the Duchess shows that her spread is made in a factory, with fingers quickly pointed at The Republic of Tea, which also makes a fruit preserve.
Last week Mail Online revealed that it appears Meghan’s hibiscus, lemon ginger and peppermint teas are made by the firm thanks to tell-tale metadata on the As Ever website.
Meghan’s $12 tins of hibiscus tea contain 12 bags – three times as much as Republic of Tea’s own product.
Its ‘Natural Hibiscus Tea Bags’ retail at $11.50 for a tin of 36, working out at 32 cents per cup, albeit in differently-shaped bags.
Republic of Tea also makes jars of Bridgerton strawberry and wild rose tea fruit preserve, priced at $12 for a 306g jar – working out at around the same price per gram as Meghan’s offering.
Its ingredients are listed as: ‘Strawberries, cane sugar, wild rose syrup (custom rose tea blend, rosewater, cane sugar), lemon juice, fruit pectin.’
Meanwhile Meghan’s As Ever raspberry spread – it is not, technically, a jam because of its high fruit content – is made from: ‘Raspberries, organic pure cane sugar, organic lemon juice concentrate and fruit pectin’.
Meghan revealed for the first time in February that ‘jam is my jam’ – and recorded a video explaining why those who know her best are aware of her secret love of making jam.
When she first released 50 fruit spreads and sent them to her nearest and dearest friends she was careful to point out that each one was home made at her kitchen table using her own recipe.
On her Netflix show With Love, Meghan described harvesting berries in her kitchen, making small-batch jars, saying: ‘I did save one of 50 for my mom.’
Last night a source close to Meghan confirmed to the Daily Mail that Republic of Tea makes her As Ever raspberry spread but said the supplier was changing.
The firm also makes her sold-out orange blossom honey – priced at $28 a jar.
In a statement, US streaming giant Netflix said: ‘Netflix and As Ever take pride in working with best-in-class vendors that meet our high standards for exceptional products.
‘It’s been exciting to see how much fans have embraced the As Ever product line, with the first two launches selling out so quickly.
‘We’re looking forward to continued success as we expand and release more As Ever products throughout the year and beyond.’
The Republic of Tea was approached for comment.
