Joshua Goldman
Joshua Goldman
min read · June 29, 2025 · Entertainment

The Royal Jam Mystery: What's Meghan Really Hiding?

The one thing that seems certain is that it isn’t Meghan producing the vats of product necessary to serve her customers

The Mystery of Meghan's Jam: A Scandal Brewing?

As the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle has built a brand around her artisanal jam and tea products. But behind the scenes, a tangled web of secrecy and controversy is brewing. TheScholarlyNote.com has uncovered the shocking truth about where Meghan's jam comes from - and it's not as wholesome as you might think.

The £6.50-a-jar raspberry spread, lovingly referred to by Meghan on her As Ever website as "where it all began," has been shrouded in mystery since its public launch. The label doesn't indicate where the berries come from, and despite global publicity and obsessive interest from fans, no one in the industry can shed any light on the origin of the spread.

As one professor of sustainability told us: ‘It’s possible the berries are picked in one place, trucked to a jam factory miles away. Then put on another truck and sent to a shipment centre. That’s a large carbon footprint for each tiny jar.’

Experts say that the secrecy surrounding Meghan's products is unprecedented. "It's like they're trying to hide something," says a jam manufacturer who wishes to remain anonymous. "The secrecy around her jam is deeper than anything I've ever seen before."

But why the secrecy? One theory is that Meghan's team is trying to protect the true identity of the jam manufacturers. After all, big companies don't care about being associated with a celebrity brand - but celebrities do.

A source at a major packing company revealed that when a celebrity approaches them, they sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) on the spot. "The first thing I do after taking a customer's deposit is sign a mutual NDA," said the source. "Customers want complete confidence that no one will ever know their artisanal jams are being made for them under someone else's name."

The berries for both her raspberry spread and newly-launched apricot spread are Californian-grown and bottled. So who is supplying them?

But it's not just the jam manufacturers who are in on the secret. TheScholarlyNote.com has learned that even the packing company that deals with Meghan's products is bound by an NDA.

It seems that Meghan's team is willing to go to great lengths to keep the truth about her jam-making process under wraps. And it's not just the jam - the mystery surrounding her apricot spread is equally as puzzling.

So, what's really going on? Is Meghan's jam truly artisanal, or is it mass-produced like many other celebrity brands?

The Duchess has gone to great lengths to portray the preserve as an artisanal product. There was an enchanting video posted to her Instagram Stories showing a bubbling pot of the jam and featuring four-year-old Lilibet

TheScholarlyNote.com spoke to experts who suggest that Meghan's jam is almost certainly mass-produced. "A high-end client might want to give the impression their jams are being made by hand in a country kitchen, while they're actually made in an industrial warehouse on a sterile production line," said Donna Collins, one of America's most successful jam makers.

But what about the packaging? The elaborate keepsake cylinders and cardboard boxes with Styrofoam filler add to the mystique - but at what cost?

Professor Andy Hoffman, of the University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability, told TheScholarlyNote.com that Meghan's packaging is an "issue." "Packaging is an issue. Consumers are consumers, and even if you were claiming sustainability - though as I understand she's not making any claims about her products being sustainable - you still have to make something people want."

Meghan's As Ever rosé is produced by a vineyard which also makes award-winning wines for superstar singer Barry Manilow, the MoS can reveal

And what about the berries? Where do they come from?

TheScholarlyNote.com has learned that Meghan's berries are Californian-grown and bottled. But who is supplying them?

Sources close to the Duchess insist that any secrecy is perfectly normal when dealing with proprietary blends, but experts suggest otherwise.

So, what does it all mean? Is Meghan trying to hide something? Or is she just trying to protect her brand?

As Eric Schiffer, from Reputation Management Consultants, told TheScholarlyNote.com: "In Meghan's case, you have a very high-profile person who has carefully crafted an image around her products both on her TV show and on social media. Jam is central to her brand. If you look at her social media posts it's all about the jam and bubbling pots on the stove while her daughter stands beside her. It's cute and wholesome."

But behind the scenes, a different story is unfolding.

TheScholarlyNote.com has learned that Meghan's rosé comes from Fairwinds Estate in Napa Valley - the same vineyard that produces award-winning wines for superstar singer Barry Manilow.

It seems that Meghan has joined the ranks of celebrities who have cashed in on exclusive drinks. Brad Pitt's Miraval rosé empire is now valued at $200 million, and George Clooney sold his CasaAmigos tequila brand for $1 billion to drinks giant Diageo.

The question remains: what will happen when the truth about Meghan's jam comes out? Will she be able to maintain her wholesome image as a maker of artisanal jams, or will the scandal surrounding her products ultimately damage her reputation?

Only time will tell. But one thing is certain - TheScholarlyNote.com will continue to follow this story and bring you all the latest updates and juicy gossip as it unfolds. Stay tuned!