I tried Meghan Markle’s As Ever products (Image: Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)

They may be perfectly packaged and the Instagram influencer’s dream, but are the Duchess of Sussex’s As Ever products really worth the money? With jam gift boxes retailing at a whopping £32, two jars of honey for £47 and sparkling wine for £68, Meghan’s range isn’t exactly purse-friendly.

Still, that hasn’t deterred the Duchess, as ever, from trying to enamour us with her culinary creations. ”As Ever is more than a brand – it’s a love language”, says her website. Sickly sweet? Just a little, at least when it comes to the marketing spiel.

But what about the taste? Because beneath the fancy calligraphy and breathy product descriptions, Meghan’s jams must ultimately be delicious to become, well, our jam.

Luckily, the Express team has left no organic sage honeycomb or hibiscus sprinkle unturned in our devoted quest to discover the truth.

From spreads to wine, honey to hot drinks, we sampled the Duchess’s 2025 Holiday Collection ahead of the special festive edition of With Love, Meghan, landing on Netflix on Wednesday.

The third installment of the cooking show will see the Duchess share her favourite holiday traditions, seasonal crafts and family recipes with stars such as tennis champion Naomi Osaka, Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio and close friend Kelly McKee Zaifen.

But it’s also the best opportunity of showcasing her As Ever products, which have been developed in partnership with the streaming giant.

While only US citizens can get their hands on the goodies right now, thanks to our colleagues working Stateside, we successfully secured a hamper of goodies – including the newly released sparkling wine, mulling spice kits and a wedding-scent candle inspired by the day Meghan and Prince Harry married at St George’s Chapel in Windsor – to see if they could elevate our lives.

Meghan Markle’s jams arrive in a festive box (Image: Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)

First impressions were good. My Express royal helpers, Jasmine Carey, Rebecca Russell and Alicia Liberty, were just as dazzled as I was by the sleek packaging. Each product comes in an off-white As Ever box embossed with soft gold font and gilded edges. If nothing else, they made wonderful keepsakes.

But as the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding, or in our case, jam. The humble breakfast condiment is one most of us dollop onto our toast without a second thought when we’re still bleary-eyed in the morning.

Meghan, however, has elevated the sweet substance into a hero product capable (she hopes) of spreading joy and inspiring bravery.

Speaking about her children Archie, six and Lilibet, four, to Harper’s Bazaar last month, she said: “I hope they see the value of being brave. They saw it when the jam was just a pot on the stove, bubbling. When you’re young. I think you are a little bit more fearless. As we get older, we lose some of that.”

Yet when we tried the trio, including Meghan’s signature raspberry spread, a new strawberry jam and orange marmalade, our emotions remained preserved and our taste buds untickled.

Meghan Markle’s wines were well received (Image: Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)

“It’s just jam,” went the general sigh in the room. While they were enjoyable enough – it is stewed fruit blended with sugar after all – the 215g jars costing £9 ($12) were no different to the varieties you can find at any supermarket except for being three times the price of popular brands Bonne Maman, Harley’s and Tiptree.

Delicately sweet and packed with rind, the orange marmalade was the highlight – but even still, paying almost £10 for a small jar seems a stretch. Presented together in the gift box, the spreads came to £32 ($42) but the jars on their own still reached £27 ($36)..

Things got just as sticky when we reached for the honey duo gift box. While we couldn’t fault the sweet nectar from the wildflower and orange blossom honeys, we couldn’t justify paying £47 ($62) for two 225g jars.

“The honey was sweet in a way that tasted oddly manufactured, nothing like the mellow flavour of the organically grown jars I usually buy,” said lifestyle reporter Alicia. “I went in hoping for rustic luxury but instead I got run-of-the-mill in a posh packet.” Oh dear.

Meghan Markle’s marmalade was packed full of rind (Image: Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)

When it came to Meghan’s mulling spice kits, available in two flavours, Hot Toddy and Spiced Cider, we were hoping for something to stir our senses. Yet despite following the instructions to brew the spice mix in hot water, even adding a cinnamon stick, they seemed lacklustre.

Out of the four of us, I was alone in enjoying the seasonal treat with its warm, vibrant blend of cinnamon, citrus peel and winter spices. But both would benefit from a shot of alcohol, as the Duchess herself suggests.

It was clear that a consensus had formed among us. “Meghan Markle may have aced the packaging of her products, but the goods themselves are nothing to write home about,” said Jasmine Carey, our royal reporter. “They are as good as other, much cheaper products I would pick up off the shelf in my local supermarket.

“As for the hot toddy, it was lacking a distinctive taste. If I had plenty of money to spend on overpriced goods, I’d choose them for their looks and the wow factor for gifting. But they don’t have a desirable USP. Sorry Meghan.”

Our disappointment seemed at odds with the gushy response that’s greeted As Ever online and in Hollywood.

The brand’s initial launch wasn’t without its hiccups after trademark issues forced the Duchess to change the name from American Riviera Orchard to As Ever in February.

Meghan Markle’s brand also offers a special edition box of honey (Image: Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)

But as soon as her range of jams, flower sprinkles and shortbread cookies hit the (virtual) shelves in April, they sold out within 30 minutes.

Fans of the former Suits actress were clearly eager to snap up the first batch of branded goods, though sceptics suggested the swift sell-out could have been due to the limited number of items available for purchase.

But regardless, her various forays into luxury retail goods, which include wines, candles and hot drinks, have proved to be a winner across the Atlantic.

Proud Meghan sent gift hampers to her A-list friends, including Kris Jenner, Chrissy Teigen and Zoe Saldaña, who shared snaps of the items with their millions of fans online.

American icon Oprah Winfrey, who conducted the first interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after their decision to quit royal life, also gave the goods her seal of approval; she’s included Meghan’s signature fruits spread gift box in her ‘Favourite Things’ list – her hallowed annual holiday gift guide. But, as cynics might say, can you imagine the fallout if she hadn’t?

Back to the tasting, where our attention turned to the Duchess’s range of wines. Surely, this was the moment to make us feel grape about As Ever? Having first launched her signature 2024 Napa Valley Rosé in the summer, Meghan has since expanded to include a 2024 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and a sparkling wine, the 2021 Vintage Napa Valley Brut.

Meghan Markle’s mulling kits didn’t go down well (Image: Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)

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And, I’m pleased to say, it was the range where we truly found enjoyment, if not the “elevation” it promotes. The rosé was light, smooth and easy to drink, while the white was dry with gentle citrus aromas.

Aroma, flavours and texture all impressed, and there was barely a drop left in the bottle. Still, the hefty £27 ($35) price tag for each bottle was a familiar bugbear.

“The rosé and sauvignon blanc were devilishly delicious – dry and full of body, but once again, not unique or unlike others I’ve tried before for a far lower price,” said deputy royal editor Rebecca Russell. “The rosé and sauvignon blanc were devilishly delicious – dry and full of body, but once again, not unique or unlike others I’ve tried before for a far lower price.”

With Meghan’s holiday edition sparkling wine retailing at an eye-watering £68 ($89) – that’s more expensive than top end branded champagnes such as Moet & Chandon (£50), Taittinger (£38), Veuve Clicquot (£50) and Bollinger (£59) – expectations were high.

But while sparking wine is famed for its fizz, this took the description to the extreme! The bubbles were so intense it felt like a peculiar mix of popping candy, sherbet and wine.

Meghan Markle’s packaging was exceptional (Image: Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)

Alicia summed it up neatly: “The brut was so bubbly it felt like a fizz bomb going off in my mouth – less gentle sparkle, more unexpected explosion.” Its description as “one-of-a-kind” is certainly true – a bit like our buying experience, truth be told.

Unsurprisingly, Meghan’s £49 ($64) candle succumbed to the same verdict: nice packaging, sweet-smelling but not enough to justify the steep cost.

“Each one was lacking in its own way,” said Rebecca. “From the jam to the fizz, there was something missing from each mouthful.

“Whether it was the overwhelmingly artificial, saccharine taste of the spreads or brand-new bubbles, which gave off more of a prickling and tingling sensation than any similar drink I’ve enjoyed, I’m sorry to say that I was left disenchanted and more deflated than elevated.”