It’s good news for Meghan’s $14 raspberry ‘spread’! Shoppers trying to spruce up their pantry in the cost of living crisis are splashing out on bougie preserves, research shows

It’s good news for Meghan Markle’s $14 raspberry ‘spread’ as shoppers are splashing out on bougie preserves, new research shows.

The Duchess of Sussex‘s lifestyle brand As Ever went on sale in the United States last week and the entire product range appeared to have sold out within an hour of going live.

A popular product was the royal’s $14 (£10.80) raspberry spread with keepsake packaging, and the version without the box priced at $9 (£7), which sold out in 30 minutes. 

And it seems Meghan’s spread came at the perfect time for consumers as there is a new trend for expensive condiments, from chilli oils, hot sauces, and sweet chutneys to elevate meals. 

Online retailer Deli doubled its condiment sales in the past year, with bestsellers including a £10 croissant butter and a £6.99 Malaysian Chinese chilli oil, according to The Guardian. 

Meanwhile Waitrose reported an 18 percent rise in condiment sales in the last month, while Marks & Spencer also saw an increase in premium condiments as they are up 10 percent from last year. 

Laura Jackson, the co-founder of Glassette, explained people are turning to bougie condiments to ‘elevate the simplest of meals’.

Speaking to the outlet, she said: ‘We’re cost-cutting in other places but spending more on things like condiments. 

It’s good news for Meghan Markle’s $14 raspberry ‘spread’ as shoppers are splashing out on bougie preserves, new research shows

‘Jo Malone didn’t invent the scented candle, but she very much made it a status symbol, and it’s becoming that way with condiments.’ 

Meanwhile Claire Dinhut, the author of The Condiment Book, made the point that people are not paying extortionate costs for a jar of jam and eating it in one night, it is used over time, saying there is a ‘cost per eat’. 

Elsewhere on TikTok the #CondimentTok is taking off, with users showcasing their favourite jams, sauces, and preserves while offering tasty ways to use them in meals. 

M&S’s latest condiment to achieve viral status was its velvety smooth Pistachio Crème spread which has a rich, nutty flavour and is perfect to spread on hot pancakes.

‘Oh my gosh, this is amazing,’ said one TikTok creator. ‘This is like an ideal dessert, literally sitting under a blanket, watching a film, just spooning this into my mouth. It’s nutty and not too overpowering – thank you, M&S, for bringing this out, it’s my new favourite’.

‘Literally RUN for this Pistachio Creme, it’s the best I’ve ever tasted,’ wrote a second creator.

A popular product was the royal’s $14 (£10.80) raspberry spread with keepsake packaging, and the version without the box priced at $9 (£7), which sold out in 30 minutes

Online retailer Deli doubled its condiment sales in the past year, with bestsellers including a £10 croissant butter and a £6.99 Malaysian Chinese chilli oil, according to The Guardian 

M&S’s latest condiment to achieve viral status was its velvety smooth Pistachio Crème spread which has a rich, nutty flavour and is perfect to spread on hot pancakes

‘This stuff is insane, it’s definitely going to sell out straight away,’ added a third creator. ‘Listen to me very carefully, run to M&S and grab yourself some of this’.

Of course, with internet fame comes great popularity, and many have taken to social media to express frustration that the Pistachio Creme has sold out in their local store. 

It comes after Meghan’s As Ever lifestyle range went on sale and became a huge success across the US, selling out in under an hour. 

It included a wildflower honey with honeycomb priced at an eye-watering $28 (£21.60) and some flower sprinkles at $15 (£11.60), while a jar of raspberry jam set punters back $14 (£10.80).

Other goods in the Duchess’s lifestyle range included shortbread and crepe mixes – both being sold for $14 – and various herbal tea mixes for $12 (£9.30) each.

When the items went on sale in the US earlier this month, they were snapped up within minutes, selling out within half an hour of going live.

In a post on social media, Meghan wrote: ‘We’re live! Come shop the As ever collection I’ve poured so much love into. So excited to share this with you’, before adding ‘limited quantities for each seasonal drop’.

Launching the range, Meghan told her followers in a newsletter that it’s a ‘love language’ rather than a brand.

In a gushing message to her followers, she wrote: ‘If you’ve been receiving these newsletters, you’ve been reading my musings about this brand and why it means so much to me – why it’s person, why it brings me joy, and how I hope that it becomes both personal and joyful for you too.

‘You’re now familiar with the line-up of products, and as of today you can order them for yourself to experience at home. I can’t wait to hear what you think!

‘Welcome to As Ever…this is just the beginning!’

The business venture comes just weeks after Meghan unveiled her new TV show, With Love, Meghan.

Netflix, the maker of her series, is her business partner and will begin selling her lifestyle range inside two of America’s mega-malls later this year.

The Duchess had unveiled her lifestyle brand as American Riviera Orchard last year, sending out 50 jars of jam to her friends as a soft launch.

The ‘American Riviera’ is a nickname for Santa Barbara, where Meghan lives with husband Prince Harry and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

But Meghan was forced to do an embarrassing U-turn after US officials told her geographical locations could not be patented and she therefore could not trademark the brand – prompting the switch to ‘As Ever’.

It comes after Meghan’s As Ever lifestyle range went on sale and became a huge success across the US, selling out in under an hour

Ahead of her lifestyle brand launch, the Duchess of Sussex told potential buyers she hopes the items can ‘mimic the magic of Montecito in a way you can recreate at home’

Meghan confirmed the change of name in a video posted to her Instagram on February 18, shared with her 2.2million followers on the social media platform.

In an interview with Inc., Meghan compared the name change fiasco to that of Bumble, the social media dating app, which changed its name from “Merci” early on.

Meghan, who is pals with the dating app’s tech guru founder, Whitney Wolfe Herd, claimed that even though she was ‘close friends’ with her, she had ‘no idea’ about Bumble’s original name.

‘These things that can feel very big as an entrepreneur when you’re building your own thing are completely normal,’ she added.

Ahead of her lifestyle brand launch, the Duchess of Sussex told potential buyers she hopes the items can ‘mimic the magic of Montecito in a way you can recreate at home’.

She has suggested her crepe mix will transform breakfasts into a ‘chance to reminisce’ because they remind her of ‘backpacking through France as a student’.

Her raspberry jam – which is made in a factory – will be ‘presented in keepsake packaging,’ and she advised fans to ‘repurpose’ the jars ‘to tuck away love notes or special treasures, and to remember this pivotal moment with me’, adding: ‘Think of it as our time capsule’.

Meghan, 43, continued: ‘And by the way, once you’ve enjoyed every spoonful of this fruit spread, you may want to do what I do: rinse the jar and use it as a small bud vase for flowers on your nightstand, or to hold your pens on your desk.’

The advice came in the newsletter which excitedly announced the roll out of her collection, with other products including a lemon ginger tea blend.