Meghan Markle’s ‘home-crafted’ raspberry jam actually made in factory 2,000 miles from Montecito: Report

MONTECITO, CALIFORNIA: Meghan Markle’s $8.9-a-jar raspberry jam, launched under her chic new brand As Ever, has been buzzing through tinsel town since the Duchess of Sussex gifted these limited-edition jars of sweetness to celebrity pals.

To emphasize Markle’s homely yet aspirational message, the jam has been marketed as a small-batch product “inspired by the recipe Meghan crafted in her home kitchen.”

But behind the homely narrative lies an industrial twist. The Daily Mail has now revealed that the ‘Suit’ alum’s sweet treat is actually manufactured in a factory in Illinois, almost 2,000 miles from her Montecito mansion.

Where is Meghan Markle’s ‘home-crafted’ raspberry jam manufactured?

As per a report by the outlet, Meghan Markle’s ‘home-crafted’ raspberry jam is manufactured by The Republic of Tea, a commercial food giant that also makes her £9 ($12) herbal teas and £20 ($28) orange blossom honey.

In addition, the business produces a ‘strawberry and wild rose' preserve as part of a collaboration with Bridgerton, a hit Netflix series set in Regency England.

The company’s headquarters are in Larkspur, California, about 350 miles away from the Duchess’s Montecito estate, but its sprawling factory facility sits 2,000 miles away on an industrial estate in Illinois.

With half a million visitors to her As Ever website since the last 'product drop' on June 20, a collaboration with a commercial manufacturer was unavoidable to meet client demand.

The Sussexes and Netflix have not yet revealed where the spread is prepared or where the raspberries are acquired.

However, a source close to the brand told Daily Mail 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.”

Another tipster also confirmed to the outlet that Republic of Tea makes her As Ever raspberry spread, but said the supplier was changing.

Royal experts slam Meghan Markle over her pricey tea

This revelation came after the Duchess of Sussex faced backlash from royal experts over the price of her new herbal tea sold under her As Ever lifestyle brand.

Meghan's tea costs $12 for a pack of 12 bags and was sold out within minutes of being restocked last week.

However, sources suggest that the tea's ingredients are sourced from The Republic of Tea, which sells a similar product for roughly the same price but provides 36 bags rather than 12.

While insiders close to Meghan claim her blend is unique, several critics feel she charges more solely because of her name.

"Customers are paying a considerable increase for Meghan's label,” royal expert Margaret Holder said, per Radar Online.

"She is taking advantage of celebrity branding. But it's a case of Meghan Mark-up, not Meghan Markle,” she added.

Meghan Markle has also faced flak over her yet-to-be-released wine, which will be sold beginning July 1, a day that coincides with Princess Diana's 64th birthday.

Ex-palace spokesman Dickie Arbiter, said: "I don't think we should be surprised that anything she does and as far as bringing out a wine, it's going to sell for something like £20 or 28 US dollars. It's a lot of money. And if you're going to go into that sort of business, you've got to produce a lot of wine to make money. If her jam is anything to go by, it's going to be sold out in about ten minutes.

"How many bottles is she producing? Who's producing it? She's not a wine expert. So, you know why go into something that you probably know nothing about?" he added