Instagram has become famous by Meghan Markle jam after top tastemakers received one of 50 jars of the new American Riviera Orchard preserve jam.
Like many people who give up big city life for the countryside, Meghan has dabbled in traditional rural activities such as hiking, raising chickens and making jam as a hobby. But while the regular hosts are content with an honesty box at the end of the street to sell their sweets and sticky treats to passing tourists—along with a few eggs—Meghan does quite different things.
First is the brand: American Riviera Orchard (already affectionately known as ARO to the Sussex Squad fan base on social media) and a shiny new product Instagram page with one advertising film features Meghan of Montecito wandering, artfully distracted, in an evening gown through the hallways of her home and cooking in her palatial kitchen. She was wearing white at the counter and didn't have a single cooking scrape on her.
Unfortunately, the video was released just hours before Kate Middleton revealed she had cancerleading to some unfavorable comparisons between the two wartime princesses.
Instagram's launch was preceded by a branding app that brought Meghan into the public eye, with a provision allowing American Riviera Orchard to sell downloadable cookbooks, tableware, textiles, jams and marmalades and print.
Of course, the royal family has prestige in this area, with King Charles having founded the Duchy Originals brand when he was just Prince Charles. It markets organic products, including oatcakes and cheese. Plus jam, obviously. The king has yet to react to the prospect of his daughter-in-law parking a tank on his lawn.
However, unlike King Charles, Meghan soon announced a deal with Netflix that focused on her passion for entertainment and cooking (her husband has his own series about the sport of polo, from the team behind the Ryan Reynolds' football breakthrough made, Welcome to Wrexham).
And now the first batch of strawberry jam has, as you requested, been sent out into the world after being carefully boiled and strained into artistic pots with pretty muslin sheets stretched tight like a drum on the neck and inscribed with the individual numbers 1/50, 2. /50 etc, as if they were Damien Hirst prints.
The recipients appear to have launched a coordinated strike to help Meghan grow the brand, along with lucky friends, including fashion designer Tracy Robbins and Argentine socialite Delfina Blaquier (wife of Nacho Figueras, Harry's polo-playing friend) was among those who posted an image of the product on their Tuesday Instagram Stories.
Robbins posted a photo of her pot (“17 out of 50”) with the caption “@AmericanRivieraOrchard breakfast, lunch and dinner just a little sweeter.”
The Instagram stories were only viewable by the account's followers however Sussex fan accounts were quick to repost them on other social networks.
Robbins, wife of Paramount CEO Brian Robbins, posted her jam sitting in a lemon basket and added: “Thanks for the delicious basket! I really love this jam so I'm not sure if I'll share it with anyone.”
Blaquier (10 out of 50) posted the pot along with the caption: “Strawberry jam makes me happy” and a picture of some jam spread on a piece of bread.
No one has yet dared to comment in depth on its taste, although Blaquier did make the general comment, “I love your jam.”
