Archive June 30, 2025

Within hours of release, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, discovered that the first batches of her most recent As Ever products, including her jam and £21-a-jar honey, had sold out.

A jam Meghan Markle has released under her new brand As Ever is actually made 2,000 miles from her mansion.

The pricey preserve is said to be “inspired by the recipe Meghan crafted in her home kitchen” and an Instagram video shows a fruity mixture bubbling in a pot at the duchess’ Californian property. However, it has now been revealed the jam – which Meghan sells for £6.50 per jar – is produced in a factory in Illinois, some 2,000 miles from Montecito.

It is actually manufactured by the same US giant which sells Meghan’s £9 packs of herbal tea. It also makes her sold-out orange blossom honey, priced at £21-a-jar – although it is not known whether it manufactures her newly released apricot preserve. Meghan, 43, had claimed last week the first batches of the apricot preserve and other new treats had sold out within hours of release online.

But one tough food critic told the media she felt the jam was “a real disappointment” upon reviewing the fruity spread. Donna Collins blasted the jam, describing it as “too runny” to work.

Meghan, the mother-of-two, is also under more scrutiny today as it becomes clear that the Republic of Tea factory, which makes the jam, is located on a factory 2, 000 miles away from Montecito, which is quite different from the duchess’s homely image, which she has presented in marketing for the preserve.

READ MORE: Meghan Markle claims new As Ever wine and £21 honey has nearly sold out already

As Ever started with the spread Meghan makes at home and worked on creating a version of it that could be produced on a scale, according to a source close to the duchess in order to create the commercial product.

Meghan’s website, though, describes her “signature” raspberry jam as “inspired by the recipe she made in her home kitchen” – and says it was deliberately crafted with a fluid texture”. On her Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, she described harvesting berries and making small batches of jars in her kitchen, adding: “I did save one of 50 for my mom.”

However, a source close to Meghan has confirmed to the Daily Mail that The Republic of Tea makes her As Ever raspberry spread, but a new supplier would soon be used. The Republic of Tea’s headquarters is in Larkspur, California, 350 miles from Meghan’s mansion – but the factory in which the jam is said to be made is in Illinois, which is in the Midwestern United States.

Netflix stated in a statement to the Mail that it “believes in working with best-in-class vendors that have high standards for exceptional products.” With the first two As Ever product launches selling out so quickly, it’s been exciting to see how popular the As Ever product line is. We’re looking forward to seeing continued success as we develop and release more As Ever products throughout the year and beyond.

Bob Vylan, who was broadcast on BBC iPlayer until the company shut down the concert at Glastonbury, chanted on the stage to demand the deaths of Israeli soldiers.

Keir Starmer has demanded BBC bosses “explain” how a punk duo calling for the death of Israeli soldiers was broadcast from Glastonbury.

Pro-Palestine act Bob Vylan chanted “death, death to the IDF” in a sickening rant on stage at the festival. Bobby Vylan, singer and guitarist of the duo, has since posted a defiant message on Instagram, despite police confirming officers are looking into his tirade.

And the Prime Minister, who also said Glastonbury Festival organisers should not have let controversial rappers Kneecap appear on stage, has described Bob Bylan’s words as “appalling hate speech”. Mr Starmer, 62, said: “There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech. I said that Kneecap should not be given a platform and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence. The BBC needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast.”

The BBC, which did not stream Kneecap live, conceded comments made by Bob Vylan were “deeply offensive”. The duo’s performance is no longer available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

After the music double act chanted “death to the IDF” chants during their performance, event directors said they were “appalled.” Prior to this year’s festival, Glostonbury had previously stated that everyone is welcome, but that it “does not condone hate speech or incitement to violence of any kind from its performers.”

READ MORE: BBC issues statement on Kneecap performance after Bob Vylan decision

According to Bob Vylan, the festival’s organizers said on Sunday, “We are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech, or incitement to violence.” “

Israeli politicians criticized Glastonbury and the BBC for skipping to play the live performance, including Sharren Haskel, the country’s deputy foreign minister.

The singer from the pro-Palestine punk act, who keeps his identity secret, also shouted “from the river to the sea Palestine… will be free” – regarded by Jews as a call for Israel’s elimination. IDF stands for Israel Defence Forces, the national military of the State of Israel, which is currently involved with the war in Gaza, one of two remaining Palestinian territories.

Avon and Somerset Police are now examining video evidence and investigating if any offence had been committed. However, Bobby Vylan has since said on Instagram: “I said what I said.” The dad shared a lengthy statement to follow up, in which he stated: “Tomorrow it is a change in foreign policy.”

As part of our online collection of more than 90 other sets, a BBC spokesperson stated: “We have made an on-demand version of Kneecap’s performance available on iPlayer.

The content adheres to our editorial guidelines and is adapted to reflect the performance from Glastonbury’s West Holts stage.

This is marked with appropriate warnings, as with all content that contains strong language. The BBC doesn’t ban artists, and acts are booked by the festival, as we have already stated. Kneecap live streaming was not available.