Two well-known cookbook authors have leveled serious allegations against TikTok influencer Brooke Bellamy, claiming she has copied their recipes in her popular cookbook. Nagi Maehashi, the Australian founder of the widely-read food website RecipeTin Eats, voiced her concerns after a reader pointed out "remarkable similarities" between her caramel slice recipe and the one in Bellamy's best-seller, *Bake with Brooki*. Maehashi, who has two cookbooks under her belt and attracts an audience of 45 million monthly page views to her website, is furious over the apparent theft of her work and has retained legal counsel to address the issue.
In response, Bellamy, who operates multiple Brooki Bakehouse locations and boasts a substantial following of two million on TikTok, has dismissed the allegations as unfounded. She defends her work, insisting that her book represents "100 recipes I have created over many years.” Furthermore, she claims that one of the disputed recipes was developed prior to Maehashi’s own publication.
The situation intensified when U.S. author Sally McKenney also came forward, accusing Bellamy of plagiarizing her vanilla cake recipe featured in both Bellamy's cookbook and on her YouTube channel. McKenney emphasized the necessity of giving credit to original recipe developers, especially in successful publications.
Maehashi expressed her frustration in her statement, stating, "It feels like a blatant exploitation of my work," and highlighted her experiences in attempting to resolve the matter with Bellamy's publisher, Penguin Random House Australia. Despite facing accusations, both Penguin and Bellamy deny any wrongdoing, with the publisher asserting that all recipes were authored by Bellamy.
To alleviate ongoing tensions, Bellamy has even suggested removing the contested recipes from future printings of her cookbook, a gesture that she claims is meant to avoid further aggravation. Throughout her defense, she has underscored her admiration for Maehashi, advocating for a collaborative and inspirational environment within the culinary community.
Both authors now find their works among the contenders for the prestigious Australian Book Industry Awards this year, as the debate over recipe originality and sharing practices continues to unfold.
