Australian influencer Brooke Bellamy is under scrutiny after two cookbook authors accused her of plagiarizing their recipes. While Bellamy defends her work, she faces legal challenges from Nagi Maehashi of RecipeTin Eats and Sally McKenney.
Controversy Brews as Influencer Accused of Plagiarizing Cookbook Recipes
Controversy Brews as Influencer Accused of Plagiarizing Cookbook Recipes
TikTok sensation Brooke Bellamy faces allegations from recipe authors Nagi Maehashi and Sally McKenney of copying their works for her popular cookbook.
Two well-known cookbook authors have publicly accused TikTok influencer Brooke Bellamy of stealing their recipes, igniting a significant culinary controversy. Nagi Maehashi, the creator of the successful food website RecipeTin Eats, stated that notable similarities exist between her recipes and those in Bellamy's recently released cookbook, Bake with Brooki. Maehashi claims that some recipes are "word-for-word similarities" to her own creations, damaging her reputation and drawing attention to what she describes as blatant plagiarism.
Bellamy, who has built a substantial following on TikTok and operates multiple Brooki Bakehouse locations in Queensland, has firmly denied the accusations. She asserts that her cookbook consists of "100 recipes I have created over many years" and highlights that some of the challenged recipes predate Maehashi's publication. Hours after Maehashi's claims, U.S. author Sally McKenney also claimed that Bellamy copied her vanilla cake recipe, further complicating the situation.
Maehashi, who saw her credibility challenged, responded to the allegations with detailed side-by-side comparisons between her recipes and those from Bellamy's book. Expressing concern over the potential misuse of her work for profit, she reached out to Bellamy's publisher, Penguin Random House Australia, which has since involved legal specialists to respond to the accusations.
Despite Maehashi's legal steps, Penguin and Bellamy maintain that the recipes were authentically developed by Bellamy herself. Nonetheless, in an effort to resolve the ongoing friction, Bellamy has offered to remove the recipes from any future editions of her cookbook.
Both authors stand behind their creations, emphasizing the value of credit for original recipe development. As the saga unfolds, both Maehashi and Bellamy's cookbooks have been shortlisted for the upcoming Australian Book Industry Awards, raising questions about originality and inspiration in the culinary community.
