Meghan Markle is officially in the business of making jam. The Duchess of Sussex quietly revealed the launch of her new brand, American Riviera Orchard, on Instagram back in March, when nine squares revealing its logo were posted to the app.
There have been no social media updates since, but celebrities have started receiving pots of strawberry jam from the brand. The ingredients list isn’t confirmed, but in an article published earlier this year, Harper’s Bazaar speculated that the jams are vegan.
This was based on an initial trademark application from February 7, which noted that American Riviera Orchard will specialize in healthy food products, including “jellies, jams, marmalades, fruit preserves, edible oils and fats, and preserves, vegetable-based spreads, legume-based spreads, nut-based spreads, garlic-based spreads, sesame-based spreads, dairy-based spreads, nut butters, [and] fruit butters.”
The brand will also likely sell home decor and kitchenware, according to the filing. This all adds up, as Meghan has made no secret of her love of cooking. In 2018, she released a charity cookbook, Together: Our Community Cookbook, for example, alongside London’s Hubb Community Kitchen.
Sussex Royal Instagram
So far, the only people to have tried American Riviera Orchard’s jam are celebrities and close friends of the Duchess.
In April, Chrissy Tiegan made a sandwich with the jam and posted an image to Instagram, calling it “one of the best bites we’ve had all year.” Kris Jenner also received a pot of jam, as did Tracee Ellis Ross, Mindy Kaling, Nacho Figueras, Abigail Spencer, and fashion designer Tracy Robbins, among others.
“Meghan is busy working on creating something safe and timeless. And something that won’t be accused of riding on the back of anything royal.” —Meghan Markle’s friend to ‘Harper’s Bazaar’s’ royal editor-at-large, Omid Scobie
“Thank you for the delicious basket!” Robbins wrote on Instagram after receiving her gift basket. “I absolutely love this jam so not sure I’m sharing with anyone.”
Aside from the fact that celebrities love its jam, we don’t know much about American Riviera Orchard yet. But we do know that it will likely be “more accessible” than Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow’s luxury wellness platform, according to Scobie.
The publication reports that Scobie was told by a friend of Meghan’s that American Riviera Orchard would be “something rooted in her love of details, curating, hosting, life’s simple pleasures, and family.”
What is Netflix doing with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle?
The brand is not the only project the Duchess has in the works. Recently, it was revealed that both Meghan and Prince Harry would be launching two new shows with Netflix through their production company Archewell Productions, which was founded in 2020 to share “thought-provoking and diverse narratives that underscore our common humanity and celebrate community.”
One of the new shoes will be a series starring Meghan, and will “celebrate the joys of cooking and gardening, entertaining and friendship,” per People. The other will follow Prince Harry as he gives viewers “unprecedented access to the world of professional polo.”
Kris Jenner Instagram
The prince has long been a fan of polo, but he has received criticism from animal-rights organizations for playing the sport. “Polo involves many of the harsh practices horses are prominently subjected to in the horseracing world, including the use of whips that sting and sharp metal spurs that dig into their sides,” Elisa Allen, PETA’s Vice President of Programmes and Operations, recently told Newsweek.
We don’t know yet what the emphasis will be in Meghan’s new series, or whether it will feature cooking tips or recipes. While she has previously expressed an interest in plant-based food, she does also eat animal products. Before she was engaged to Prince Harry, she told Best Health: “When I’m filming, I’m conscious of what I eat. I try to eat vegan during the week and then have a little bit more flexibility with what I dig into on the weekends.”
The Duchess doesn’t often speak about her diet now, but in 2021, she did show Oprah Winfrey the rescue chickens she rescued from a factory farm. “I just love rescuing,” she told Winfrey at the time.
For more updates on American Riviera Orchard, you can keep an eye on the brand’s Instagram page. And for more updates on the upcoming Netflix series, you can find the official Archewell Productions website here.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
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