As Ever #3 As If

[PrettyFlyforaMaiTai]

Another thread to discuss the rebranding of ARO and the merchandising of With Love, Meghan

Part 2: www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_royal_family/5278062-as-ever-2-whatever

These mixes for pancakes and cakes etc all need eggs adding, which is a problem when eggs are in short supply and/or expensive.

(See link below from Guardian US about the current bird flu situation there.)

Powdered eggs can be added as part of the manufacturing process or at home, but this product has a relatively short shelf life and really isn’t going to ‘elevate’ anything what with it being, frankly, not very nice.

Also I agree with pp that box mixes are classed as UPFs not least because of all the emulsifiers, preservatives, stabilisers and ‘flavour enhancers’ (salts and sugars) required for them to be ‘shelf stable’ and ‘flavorful’, within a crowded US food market that is closely correlated with rising rates of obesity and poor health.

So I guess that Meghan will (to paraphrase Richard Osman) have to package her latest unoriginality in a very interesting way.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/02/egg-prices-bird-flu

They don't ALL need eggs. M&S have a mix thay only needs water or milk....

Presentation decks- it just means presentations

Also she’s walking barefoot in someone else’s home. That is a bit yuk.

Also, don’t see the crew walking around barefooted.

I don't think I said using them was new but certainly recognising them as home made is more recent in the UK - different in the US.

Following up on @Grrrpredictivetex derail request for a Welsh cake recipe, do they keep well? Wondering if Welsh cakes might be a useful addition to my freezer stock of home made treats for the children's school snack.

@Spectre8 I thought everyone always had flour in their cupboards. Surely its a staple?

Packet mixes, especially for cakes, pancakes, biscuits are always seen as something to do with kids. Often the only cupcake mixes you’ll see in supermarkets are the kiddy ones.

It isn’t seen as something that a cook would ever do. Just something simple that the kids can do without too much assistance from adults.

i understand packet mixes are more popular in the US and they suit some people. But I can’t see how they can ever be seen as high end/luxury.
I know you can make a cake from a mix and ‘elevate’ it, but the point is to make it look like you have made it and not admit you used a box. So who does that appeal to, buy a Meghan cake mix and don’t tell anyone.
Ive seen in American supermarkets and increasing here, pancake mixes, they’re nothing unique or special. They’re also full of crap compared to making them. So how much of a market is there for her, I assume, overpriced rbem.
i recently watched the Martha Stewart and I have loads of admiration for how much she developed on her own with her own unique style and vision.

I see Pamela Anderson has released a new show " Pamela with love " it's a cooking show

Wasn't there something in 'Spare' about her meeting Kate and William for the first time, getting all huggy while barefoot and wearing ripped jeans?

"Barefoot" must be her shorthand for 'I'm so laid back and warm and huggy'.

Ahhhhh me too :-)

Her name was Mrs Owen. She and my grandmother were friends for the rest of their lives and my grandmother never called her anything other than Mrs Owen. Mrs Owen called my grandmother by an Anglicised version of my grandmother's name, after proclaiming that no one on our estate would be able to pronounce the real one. So that was another way to help her integrate.

Mrs Owen was like the Queen Bee on our estate, all the other women took their social cues from her. So if she said our family was OK, we were OK. I often think that the Mrs Owens of this world don't get enough love. You know, the older women, wise off life experience, excellent judges of character and extremely apt at both reading and giving social cues to promote harmony. I reckon the Late Queen was like that too. It's a very female thing, men just can't do it as well. God bless all the matriarchs of the world :-)

So do I @Spectre8 but the point is , this isn't Meghans house it's a rental and a film set.

Mixes are popular in the US. They aren’t really much of a thing here but she wants to target the US market. Things like cookie dough, ready made frosting in millions of different flavours are something that’s popular. It’s baking without all the mess. It’s popular in the US.

It just not something that’s done here. Yes you can get cake mixes and pre made frosting but it’s extremely limited and seems almost pointless. To make a buttercream icing, cream cheese frosting etc its so simple and won’t have all the preservatives that will be sitting in those tubs.

That said, years ago I worked in Pizza Express (25 years ago) and the chocolate fudge cake was a Betty Crocker mix and pre made Betty Crocker frosting. The chefs used to let me ice the cakes…was my fav job!

The rise of packet mixes is such a loss to teaching kids mathematics, weights and measures, time, temperature, as well as a bit of organisation and planning.

And the place would of been cleaned afterwards. I walk barefoot in airbnbs etc. It will be cleaned after? What is so yuk? Are you eating off the floor?

I've just been looking some up some American pancake mixes on Amazon out of curiosity. Looking at some Aunt Bessie ones, they are absolutely UPF, but they are also "just add water". No eggs required - which frankly I would find off-putting, because at least I could have rationalised giving it to my kids on the basis that a fresh egg was included. Not that cheap at £3 for a 200g pack, but as a one off, cheaper than buying individual ingredients. For anyone who is a home baker though - which I assume MM is trying to encourage people to be - then eggs, milk, flour, bicarbonate are all store-cupboard staples, why would you buy a mix? And more importantly, what is it about MM's that will be appealing and will be competitive/attractive against a tried and tested brand like Betty Crocker, or just making your own, as every basic baker knows how?

So you never walk barefoot in your home?

I have to say , I'm a big home cook, but I do buy cake mix occasionally ( although it's not cheap betty Crocker ) I get some from a company called fun cakes from Amazon ( yes I know!)
The red velvet my daughter loves is just much better than my own !
And I buy there enchanted cream mix to use instead of frosting, it's less sweet more airy and doesn't require butter which as we know Is expensive at the moment.
So no issues with mixes for me ! , however why Meghan would sell it is a mystery.

So? I walk barefoot in places i stay in?

So, buying a mix from the notoriously expensive M&S food hall is cheaper than buying ingredients individually. I doubt it. And given that pancakes are only milk eggs and flour, it is likely that most people will have those ingredients and be able to use them elsewhere 🙄

My home, yes. Other people’s homes, not so often.

I don’t generally cook barefoot either. A dropped knife, a splash of hot oil or a broken piece of china and you have an injured foot…

You often stay on film sets , with hundreds of people wearing shoes walking in and out dragging dirt in with them then? 🙄

Luckily pancakes isn't the only food in the world that we can eat. There are plenty of other foods that they make that will teach them those skills

And it's minging.

Well, I don't think a "ready" bara brith mix is going to be on the agenda, it needs the ability to make hot tea!