What does the cryptic crossword clue "In public he made a mess of top quality (4-4)" mean?

The definition is "quality". The wordplay uses an anagram. anagram of PUBLIC + HE = BLUECHIP; definition: "quality" The answer is BLUECHIP.

In public he made a mess of top quality (4-4)

Guardian Cryptic #29553 | 16 Down | 2024-11-29 flower