Meghan tries a new recipe for success – selling biscuit and pancake ingredients

Telegraph

25-02-2025

The Duchess of Sussex is planning to sell dried biscuit and crepe mixes under her new As Ever brand, The Telegraph can reveal.
Meghan made the last-minute application just hours after announcing she had rebranded her lifestyle venture last week.
The new trademark filing, made twice under two different As Ever fonts, is for: 'Mixes for bakery goods; cookie mixes; biscuit mixes; crepe mixes.'
Meghan launched her lifestyle brand under the name American Riviera Orchard (ARO) last year, distributing 50 jars of strawberry jam to her celebrity friends.
She was refused a trademark for the brand after the US Patent and Trademark Office said geographical locations could not be patented.
The American Riviera is a common nickname for Santa Barbara, California, where the Sussexes live.
But in a video posted on Instagram last Tuesday, the Duchess said the company had been rebranded As Ever, in partnership with Netflix.
She said the new name meant she would not be confined to selling local produce, adding that it allowed her to return to her passions of 'cooking and crafting and gardening' that she had not 'been able to share with you for the past few years'.
The announcement, made after the details were leaked on social media, came two weeks before the launch of With Love, Meghan, her eight-part 'at home-style' show, which will 'celebrate the joys of cooking & gardening, entertaining, and friendship'.
The initial trademark application for As Ever was made in October 2022 before being sidelined in favour of ARO.
However, it was revived last September, after the ARO application was rejected.
Much like the original, it covers a vast range of products, from tableware and gardening tools to wine bags, bird houses, butters, jellies and chocolates.
However, it features notable additions in the form of various food and drink mixes.
The Duchess has applied to sell edible dried flowers in various guises, including sprinkles, which she can be seen using liberally in the trailer for her new Netflix show.
She has added various forms of chocolate, cocoa powder, candy sprinkles and crystallised sugar for decoration as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktail mixes.
The filing also covers hospitality services 'in the nature of provision of food and drink' or 'temporary accommodation'.
It is thought the Duchess will sell her products through a new As Ever website, which links to a Shopify domain.
The name was created through internet giant godaddy.com which was also used to purchase the name lilibetdiana.com on the day the Sussexes' daughter, Princess Lilibet, was born, as well as the now-defunct sussexroyal.com.
The Duchess may also sell products through the official Netflix merchandise shop, which sells products such as clothing, glassware and puzzles linked to its popular shows.
The only Netflix-branded food previously manufactured is thought to be a Stranger Things frozen pizza, sold at Walmart in the US in 2023.
Reports that Meghan's products will be sold in Netflix pop-up shops in Texas and Philadelphia have been denied.
Potential 'confusion'
The apparent focus on dried foodstuffs comes after an application to sell clothing under the new brand name was rejected due to potential 'confusion' with a Chinese clothing company called ASEVER.
The Duchess's team had asked to use the As Ever name for aprons but agreed to remove that part of the application.
The rest of the range could involve anything from gardening tools and recipe books to jewellery and stationery.
The application – which has not yet been approved – also includes downloadable podcasts, audiobooks, films, newsletters or TV shows on subjects including self-care, culture, the empowerment and advancement of women and conscious living.
The new brand will see the Duchess turn Hollywood housewife as she embraces 'playfulness over perfection' and promises to 'create wonder in every moment'.
In the new show, which will tie in to the launch of As Ever, Meghan is filmed rustling up a variety of dishes in the kitchen while entertaining famous friends.
She promises to share 'little tips and tricks' that will add sparkle to the otherwise mundane.