Meghan Markle’s latest brand launch has stirred quite a bit of attention—though perhaps not for the reasons she intended.
If you’ve ever wondered whether her products live up to their luxurious promises, trust me when I say the answer is a resounding no.
I ordered every item available for a taste test, and the results were less than impressive. Let’s break it down.
The Tea Bags: Overpriced and Underwhelming
One of the first things that stood out to me were the tea bags. For $12 per tin (which translates to $1 per tea bag), you’d expect something truly special.
Unfortunately, the steeping instructions on the packaging left a lot to be desired.
“Bring water to a boil” might seem like standard advice, but as any seasoned tea drinker knows, boiling water can actually ruin the flavor.
The ideal temperature is just shy of boiling, but apparently, Meghan and her team missed that memo.
The Crepe Mix: A Missed Opportunity
Next up, the $14 “French style” crepe mix. It’s almost laughable that Meghan felt the need to label it as “French style,” given that crepes are inherently French.
This feels like a missed opportunity for something truly unique, yet instead, it’s just another overpriced product with little distinction.
The Wildflower Honey: The Apology That Says It All
The much-anticipated “Limited-Edition Wildflower Honey with Honeycomb” ($28) wasn’t even part of my order.
Apparently, there were some hiccups with fulfilling the orders, and even the apology note that accompanied the oversight was riddled with mistakes.
With sloppy grammar and a tone that suggested customers should still be celebrating, it was hard to take it seriously.
If you can’t even get the basics right, how can you expect people to trust your brand?
The Packaging: Flimsy and Wasteful
Meghan made a big deal out of her attention to packaging. On her podcast, she described how she was consumed by the process of getting it just right. But, based on my experience, that doesn’t appear to be the case.
For example, her “keepsake box” for raspberry preserves was a disaster.
The beige cardboard tube, with flimsy plastic buffers that fell apart, was more of a recycling bin candidate than a charming trinket holder. Not exactly what I’d expect from someone claiming to be environmentally conscious.
The Raspberry Preserve: Disappointing Taste
As for the raspberry preserve, it was a letdown in both flavor and texture.
The jam was runny and sickly sweet, leaving a filmy residue on the tongue.
And at $14 for a small jar, it certainly doesn’t live up to its price tag. For comparison, a jar of Bonne Maman costs about half as much for a much larger portion and tastes better, too.
Crepe Mix and Cookies: Bland and Forgettable
The crepe mix, when cooked, tasted more like undercooked pancakes—bland and uninspiring. The $14 shortbread cookie mix was no better.
The cookies themselves were overly sweet and salty, with no real depth of flavor.
As for the edible flower sprinkles ($15), they looked like something you’d find stuck to your sweater, and the taste was rough—almost like chewing on hay.
It’s hard to imagine anyone enjoying these as part of a dessert spread.
A Message in the Packaging: Odd and Unclear
While the products themselves are underwhelming, the language on the packaging was another strange element. Take, for example, the cookie mix. The message reads, “Let’s call this a hug in a box.”
While it’s unclear what that even means, it’s clear that Meghan was trying to evoke some emotional connection through her brand. But it falls flat.
Her claim that she “fell in love with the ritual of tea and ‘biscuits'” while living in the U.K. is an odd choice, especially considering her public remarks about how poorly she was treated by the royal family and the press.
The Teas: Disappointing Brews
When it comes to the teas, the story doesn’t get much better. Meghan offers three flavors: herbal hibiscus, herbal lemon ginger, and herbal peppermint.
All of them were watered down, with little to no flavor.
I followed the instructions to the letter, using boiling water as advised, but the results were underwhelming.
The hibiscus brewed into a vibrant purple but tasted like little more than hot water.
The lemon ginger should’ve packed a punch but instead was flavorless, and the peppermint made me wish I hadn’t bothered with any of them.
Final Thoughts: A Lack of Follow-Through
Overall, Meghan Markle’s product line is a letdown. The high prices don’t match the subpar quality, and the attention to detail that was promised simply isn’t there.
From the flawed packaging to the disappointing taste of the products, it’s clear that more attention was paid to the marketing than the actual product.
If Meghan wants to build a successful brand, she’ll need to do more than rely on her name. The lack of follow-through here is apparent, and it shows in the end product.