Celebrity chef and entrepreneur Jameson Stocks has delivered a scathing verdict on whether British shoppers will embrace Meghan Markle's lifestyle brand As Ever, dismissing the Duchess of Sussex's products as "below-average overpriced tat".
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Express, Mr Stocks predicted Meghan, 45, would attempt to reinvent her Californian lifestyle empire for the British market following her return to the UK. He questioned whether her royal-adjacent status would translate into commercial success across Britain.
"I wouldn't be surprised if a couple of department stores in London have already signed a deal to sell her below-average overpriced tat," he said.
Brand built on Montecito lifestyle
As Ever has been carefully wrapped in the Duchess's Montecito existence, combining food and entertaining with the aspirational domestic aesthetic that has increasingly defined Meghan's public image. The lifestyle venture has allowed the former working royal to carve out a commercial identity distinctly separate from Palace life, with preserves, honey, teas and flower sprinkles among the products offered to consumers.
Meghan's return to Britain could hand the Duchess an entirely new playground and potentially a lucrative new audience. After years of Montecito sunshine, sprawling gardens and Californian entertaining, As Ever could suddenly have the opportunity to embrace a very different aesthetic - think country-house living, afternoon tea, roaring fires, British produce, and the quintessentially English imagery currently dominating social media.
Pivot to UK market predicted
Mr Stocks believes a pivot is coming but is considerably less convinced the British public will accept it. "I have no doubt that she will pivot her brand and launch something in the UK," he said. "The question is there enough mugs in the UK to buy it?"
The critic was equally scathing about another asset Meghan could regain simply by returning to Britain: proximity to the Royal Family. Six years after the Sussexes dramatically abandoned royal duties for a new life in North America, their return once again places Meghan geographically - if not institutionally - within touching distance of the monarchy.
Rebuilding royal bridges questioned
Mr Stocks warned that rebuilding personal relationships with the Firm would be an entirely different matter. "When you're backed into a corner with very few options left - having exhausted every possible avenue, you often find yourself turning back to your family," he said.
"If you're liable for tens of millions of pounds without a reliable income stream, returning may make financial sense. However, I believe rebuilding bridges with the Royal Family will take considerable time. If their return was motivated solely by commercial value, I find that despicable," he continued.
The entrepreneur then delivered another swipe at Meghan's ability to turn her global profile into lasting commercial clout. "Her celebrity status was clearly not as influential in America as she believed, which is why she failed - British people are not stupid they see through people like her," he said.
Mr Stocks saved some of his most explosive language for his assessment of the opportunities the Sussexes received after leaving royal life. "At the end of the day, they didn't want to be a part of the royal family any longer they wanted to go to America the American dream she was handed opportunity after opportunity and she f***ed them all up," he said.
He went on to attack the couple's previous entertainment ventures and Meghan's wider business record, adding: "I found it embarrassing that they got paid so much money for such crap and yet coming back to the UK for handouts."
Stocks's assessment is undoubtedly savage, but the prospect of a British chapter for As Ever raises a fascinating commercial question.
