Lifestyle brand As Ever, founded by Meghan Markle, released its first-ever advent calendar on Thursday, October 1. This launch is a commercial collaboration with Los Angeles-based chocolatier Compartés ahead of the upcoming holiday season. The $148 calendar features 24 handcrafted chocolates inspired by signature spreads and the duchess’s garden in Montecito, California. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in November.
Markle teased the collaborative project on October 1 through an Instagram Story video filmed in June. The footage showed Markle riding in a golf cart alongside Jonathan Grahm, creative director and chief chocolatier of Compartés, around her Montecito estate grounds. The video was set to Michael Bublé’s holiday track ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’ and featured sketches of the estate that ultimately inspired the product’s outer packaging.
Design and Contents Inspired by the Montecito Estate
The limited-edition holiday countdown package features an architectural illustration of Meghan and Prince Harry’s Montecito home and garden. According to press materials from As Ever, every detail of the product was curated with care. This includes countdown numbers hand-painted in Meghan’s own penmanship utilizing edible gold luster.
The calendar contains 24 distinct gourmet chocolates. Flavor profiles draw inspiration from existing As Ever collection favorites, including:
- Strawberry
- Raspberry
- Blackberry
- Orange Marmalade
- A special chocolate finished with signature flower sprinkles
- Compartés dark chocolate ganache truffles
The product marks the latest expansion of an ongoing partnership between As Ever and Compartés. The two brands previously collaborated on a limited run of As Ever x Compartés chocolate bars that sold out within an hour of release.
Commercial Context and Pricing
Priced at $148 (approximately £112), the advent calendar sits at a premium price point compared to standard seasonal items. It is $28 more expensive than Compartés’s core lineup of standard holiday advent calendars, which retail at $120. However, it remains below ultra-luxury offerings like the Vosges Haut-Chocolat Advent Calendar, which is priced at $385.
Industry analysts and royal commentators have closely monitored the commercial output of As Ever since its launch. The lifestyle company features a range of pantry goods, preserves, and home items. The inclusion of artwork depicting the Montecito mansion highlights a continuation of branding elements tied directly to the couple’s California residence. This occurs even as public attention surrounds their recent travel and living arrangements between the United Kingdom and the United States.
Preorders and Distribution
Preorders for the advent calendar officially opened on the As Ever online store on October 1. Shipping logistics are planned to deliver boxes to consumers early in November, well in advance of the December countdown period.
