Meghan Markle launched her long-awaited lifestyle brand As ever on April 2, with the collection of eight products selling out in less than an hour. From her often-discussed jam to tea, honey, flower sprinkles and baking mixes, the first drop from As ever seemed to be a swift success for the Duchess of Sussex. Now that shipments have hit mailboxes, I set out to see what customers really think about the products.
I was lucky to receive one of the beautiful wooden boxes full of products that As ever sent during launch week, but I also placed my own order on April 2. Having tried everything except the brand's limited-edition honey, I can confidently say Meghan's kitchen treats are worth the price. The shortbread cookies with flower sprinkles were a huge hit in my house, and if it wasn't part of a one-time drop, I'd buy the soothing lemon ginger tea on the regular. And the raspberry spread? Next-level delicious on top of some vanilla ice cream.
But what do other women think?
"I have tried the jam, honey, and tea," Lindsey W. from Texas tells Marie Claire. "I could honestly drink the jam straight from the glass jar. I haven't tasted every preserve available, so I can't claim it's the best, but it is pretty fantastic."
Lindsey continues that As ever's honey "is incredibly luxurious with the honeycomb included," noting that she's "never had honey with honeycomb in the jar, making it feel like an elevated experience."
Amelia N. echoes the sentiment, noting she was "impressed" by the "elevated" lemon ginger tea and raspberry spread. "Once steeped, the aroma is wonderfully refreshing, and the flavor has a surprising kick that I absolutely loved."
Amy H. from Arkansas, who purchased the honey, crepe mix and raspberry spread, says the spread is "an awesome middle ground between sweet and tart." Even though she admits she'd "never made crepes before," Amy says the process "was easy and delicious," adding, "It really made me feel like I knew what I'm doing!"
Another customer, Sara E., shares that she loved the raspberry spread so much that "it was gone in one day!" The Michigan resident continues, "I wish it was a tad more tart, but definitely one of the better preserves I've had." However, Sara notes, "I do wish the container was bigger," a point which I agree on. At just 7.6 ounces, the raspberry spread does run out quickly, making it on the pricier side for its small size. However, at $14 (or $9 without the keepsake packaging), the product is certainly not as expensive as prestige pantry brands like Flamingo Estate—and the flavor, IMO, is certainly worth the price.
Magen K. from Mississippi tells Marie Claire she purchased the flower sprinkles and raspberry spread and baked her own treat to use for the toppings. "I ended up making mixed berry muffins and added the jam and flowers on top," she says. "Edible flowers are cute and a pinch goes a long way."
Another flower sprinkle fan is Meredith C. "I told myself I wasn't going to get the flower sprinkles. Naturally I purchased the flower sprinkles," the Colorado resident shares. Meredith says she looked to the Duchess of Sussex's Netflix series With Love, Meghan for ideas.
"I'm not too proud to say I was heavily influenced by the various ways she used them on her show, With Love, Meghan," she shares, adding, "The container smells like the fragrant garden I do not have the green thumb for. "
In terms of packaging, many of the customers I spoke with praised the overall unboxing experience—and you guessed it, they thought it was "elevated." Lindsey W. says, "I love all the attention to detail. The tea and the cookies both have a little note on them explaining how to enjoy them and how they will contribute to your day. 'Elevated" is what keeps coming to mind."
Lindsey K. from Arizona says she "gasped upon seeing the 'handle with care' label in Meghan’s calligraphy" and "just knew she thought through every single detail of her customer's experience."
As for future improvements, multiple women mentioned to me that the purchasing process was slightly chaotic. "Meghan had the girls fighting over preserves! I felt like I was getting my Cowboy Carter tickets," Lindsey W. says, adding, "At one point the honey got snatched from my cart."
Numerous customers say they hope As ever will announce a specific launch time for future seasonal drops. However, Magen notes, "I do fear the website will crash." Also, as Lindsey W. points out, the surprise 9 a.m. EST launch meant many people on the West Coast "were not awake yet."
Luckily, Lindsey K.'s husband woke her up at 6:30 a.m. and scored major brownie points when he was able to snag one "coveted" item. "I frantically added everything available into my cart and held my breath under receiving the ‘order placed’ email," she says. "While the keepsake jam was not available for me, I heard the ding of a purchase on the other side of the bed and saw his huge smile that he got my most coveted item from me!"
