Meghan Markle is eyeing an expansion of her As Ever brand, with plans to potentially open her own line of hotels and restaurants.
The Duchess of Sussex has been making waves in 2025 with her social media comeback, a Netflix series, and the debut of her new business initiative.
Following revelations that she’s trademarked her lifestyle brand for “hospitality services” celebrity chef Jameson Stocks expressed his outrage at the news, calling it “unbelievable.”
The acclaimed chef, who serves as an ambassador for The King’s Trust and has had the privilege of cooking for King Charles, criticized the Duchess harshly.
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Express, he remarked: “Meghan has got as much skill in opening up a restaurant as I have walking on water.”
The culinary maestro voiced his concerns further, labeling the entire idea as “absolutely unbelievable” and suggesting it casts doubt on the quality of advice Meghan is receiving. He suspects those in Meghan’s circle are “simply using her name,” and bluntly dismissed the venture as “nonsense.”
Jameson’s disapproval is rooted in the current hardships facing the restaurant industry, noting: “Respected restaurants are struggling right now. Even Michelin-star chefs are closing their doors.”
He pointed out, “Profit margins are tight, and people aren’t dining out as much anymore. It seems like she’s just attaching her name to anything that brings in money,” implying that Meghan’s strategy seems to be about leveraging her fame for profit.
Despite his irritation, Jameson maintained a fair stance, acknowledging he gives Meghan “the benefit of the doubt” and notes that “she’s creating a lifestyle brand featuring wine, honey, and more.”
Yet, he emphasized the importance of affordability.
He remarked: “The fact that her jams and other goods are produced thousands of miles away from her home-it doesn’t convey an artisan feel and added value when they come from a factory!”.
On the topic of her potential involvement in any hospitality business, the chef commented: “It would be as fake as her TV program, in her name to a venue.”
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Then, drawing parallels to how F1 icon Lewis Hamilton ventured into the hospitality industry only to witness his burger chain fail, he imparted some prudent advice to the Duchess: “Sometimes, it’s best to stick to what you know.”
He contended that should Meghan step into the restaurant scene, “she would not be running the show.”
“The hospitality sector is struggling and there are far better candidates for investment than Meghan Markle. I reckon she’ll pitch some ideas she’s keen on, but if the backers have any sense, they’ll take charge of most decisions. Her name will probably just be used for endorsing projects.”
Earlier this year, Meghan took center stage in her own lifestyle series With Love, Meghan, with the second season anticipated to premiere on the streaming service in the near future.
Criticism arose as the As Ever brand expanded to jams, honey, and most recently, roseĢ wine, with eyes on what could come next.
Jameson expressed skepticism about the branding strategy, stating: “It seems Netflix has invested an astonishing amount of money in her but has run out of creative ideas for her projects.”
He finished with a biting remark: “Now, they appear to be focusing on building a lifestyle brand around her-a chance she would never have received if she weren’t part of the Royal Family as nobody would be interested.”