As ever, WLM, PR disasters continued

[AtIusvue]

Online, people are pointing out that a very expensive cashmere jumper that Meg wore on suits, also made its way to her wardrobe

It’s been nothing but PR disasters of late.

What I have noticed which is curious - is that the UK tabloids are not running with P6 story about the dress. Just like they avoided talking about the NY car chase. They only reported on the media frenzy. But, we know Harry sent out some sort of memo not to publish photos etc. None of the UK press did. Now Meg has acknowledged the stolen dress story and released an official refute ….and none of the UK press are even reporting on that?

That’s weird. They will literally print any old Meg story to get clicks…..but not this one???

The articles on this issue are mainly American.

You don't like chocolate? 😲

I LOVE chocolate but there is no way I would pay 9 quid plus delivery costs for any of these bars. For that price, I'd want to know the origin of the cocoa and other ingredients, as well as some kind of 'story' behind the brand. And even then I'd wait for a special offer!

Looking at the website, it doesn't even say the % of cocoa, which I believe is a legal requirement here. That's basic information, and without that there's no way I'd want to splash out on a bar. It looks like yet another relabelled generic product in fugly packaging.

Is it like her "spread", made in a factory in somewhere like Illinois?

The 'As Ever' blurb says it was " Handcrafted at Compartés’ Los Angeles atelier". A Los Angeles 'atelier' is a step up from a factory in Illnois, but it's kind of an unusual word to use for a place where chocolate is made. It's usually associated with artists or fashion designers. It is suitably pretentious, however.

Compartes chocolate gets a miserable rating of 2.7/5 on Truspilot.

Yes. Strange.

The chocolate bar packaging with the Hummingbird on it looks very similar to the delicious Canadian bean to bar brand Hummingbird chocolates logo

I do like chocolate and have been exploring the Compartés website a bit.

I wouldn't pay £9 for a bar like this, but would reasonably happily pay £4-5 for a bar in a local chocolatier if I was on holiday, or to take home from a day out.

Places like that (in the UK) are usually keen to explain where their chocolate comes from and what they are doing to ensure fair prices for their farmers. Some websites will clearly mention anti-slavery precautions, but that is less common.

The Compartés website doesn't mention any of these. It does talk about combining 'flavors from around the world, and seasonal ingredients sourced from local farmer’s markets'. It says they don't use machinery like conveyor belts and their chocolates are 'handcrafted in small batches' in Los Angeles.

Interestingly, none of the Compartés bars have the cocoa percentage, so I assume it's not required in California. Their bars are very decorative, and the company motto is apparently 'Chocolate as Art'. There's a long (unnecessary) spiel about the founder ...

@IcedPurple - So often people don't believe but it is true . I don't like chocolate - actually not quite true a little square of 80 or 90% cocoa I would think was nice with a coffee. A box of milk chocolates could go mouldy in the fridge before I ate them. Luckily I have a family who can help out if I am ever given a box. 😊 But - and here's a thing - I would want to know the % cocoa. Green and Blacks always say it I think but I can't remember how much an equivalent size bar of that would be and not sure that is upmarket , more mid market - don't know.

Cheese on the other hand. Let the Duchess never mess with cheese or I may have a stronger opinion 😂

Thank you for mentioning them - I hadn't come across them before and have family in Canada. I may be able to send gifts from there in future!

@bluegreygreen they are really good. We visited the chocolate factory over there. They are a small business but their chocolate is really very good

Looks like the chocolate company does a lot of corporate gifts. So just like the winery she uses.

It also has NF as a client

You only need to order a minimum of 1000 units for bespoke

Inspired.

Let's be honest - it wouldn't take much to better most of the chocolate they sell in the USA 😂 oops!

Cheese you say - I'm all for cheese too.

I’m on the east coast of the US, and since before Thanksgiving my FB feed has been full of Compartes chocolate. Not Meghan’s stuff: mostly black boxes of bite-sized chocolates in a not-expensive-looking box. I’ve never seen it in a store before (but as another one who doesn’t much like chocolate, that probably doesn’t mean much), and I’ve never seen it advertised before either. We have all the world’s chocolatiers in our city, and I imagine the market is crowded.

I’ve also had As Ever pop up on my FB feed RELENTLESSLY (as well as and in the same quantities as an Ann Summers type of store!) since just before Thanksgiving. The advert is a jumble of stylised and moodily lit things in jars, and not much evidence Meghan Markle in it. But it does seem like Facebook advertising is offering a special on advertising space for the holiday season. It’s similar to the bombardment we used to get in TV during the 90s and 00s. It makes sense for Compartes and As ever to join financial forces if my algorithm is anything to go by!

It’s puzzling as she used to present herself as a gourmet. She made out she was a great cook and a foodie. Now she’s promoting UPF ‘food’ and lots of nonsensical crap like sprinkles . It’s just so bizarre. She seems to be trying to make a virtue out of not cooking for her kids too.

If Meghan produced cheese it would have jam spread and flower sprinkles in it.

I'm afraid my first thought on the chocolate, and I love fancy chocolate was the same as a poster above, not the sprinkles again. At least the spread was runny enough to stir into the chocolate.

Before Meghan produces another food line can someone gently remove the flower sprinkles from her grasp.

Once again she seems to have produced a fairly generic product at an inflated price.

That's true! A lot of what is called 'chocolate' in America would not legally be chocolate in Europe.

The fact that this brand with their LA 'atelier' does not list cocoa % is a red flag to me. And all this fluff about 'ingredients from around the world' does not exactly sound like they are proud of their provenance. 9 quid a bar seems steep for what is likely a fairly basic product.

Disingenuous As Ever.

True to her brand values - fake, flakey, inauthentic,

My word. She’s shameless.

I do think that of all her products this one makes the most sense and seems the nicest. I’d buy a pretty bar of choc as a gift but only if it was legit good chocolate.

It’s a bit of a stretch to say she ‘copied’ cornflowers, IMO

Really? I'd buy a nice box of chocolates as a gift, or perhaps a hand made premium bar, but not for something mass produced from an influencer/celebrity.
However, I know some people do.

Not being goady, but what 'seems nice' about the chocolate? There is no information about the provenance of the ingredients, or even basic facts like the cocoa %. Everything points to the chocolate being a basic generic product in fancy packaging.

The bars are tiny too. 2 'servings' of 40g each!