Two cookbook authors, Nagi Maehashi and Sally McKenney, are accusing Australian TikTok influencer Brooke Bellamy of copying their recipes in her recently published cookbook, "Bake with Brooki." Maehashi, the founder of the successful food website RecipeTin Eats, claims to have found "word-for-word similarities" between her recipes and those in Bellamy's book. In response, Bellamy argues that her cookbook consists of 100 original recipes she developed over several years, including one recipe she insists predates Maehashi's publication.
The conflict escalated as Maehashi revealed that a reader pointed out the uncanny resemblances between her caramel slice recipe and that of Bellamy's. She later noted similar issues with her baklava recipe, using a side-by-side comparison to emphasize her claims on RecipeTin Eats. Maehashi, known for attracting a significant monthly audience of 45 million page views, said that legal action seemed necessary after she contacted Bellamy's publisher, Penguin Random House Australia, which allegedly escalated the situation by involving legal representatives.
Meanwhile, Bellamy operates three Brooki Bakehouse locations in Queensland and has amassed a following of two million on TikTok. Although she denies any wrongdoing, she expressed a willingness to eliminate the disputed recipes in future editions of her book to avoid further conflict, asserting, "Recipe development today draws inspiration from various sources."
Both authors' cookbooks have been nominated for the Australian Book Industry Awards, highlighting their prominence in the culinary field. McKenney, who runs Sally's Baking Addiction, adds to the mix by accusing Bellamy of plagiarizing her vanilla cake recipe, stressing the importance of credit for original recipe creators, especially in popular cookbooks. As the debate continues, the incident casts a spotlight on the complexities of authorship and inspiration within the ever-evolving world of food publishing.
