Australian Influencer Faces Plagiarism Allegations Over Cookbooks

Nagi Maehashi and Sally McKenney claim that influencer Brooke Bellamy's cookbook contains recipes that closely resemble their own. Bellamy denies the allegations, asserting that her creations are original.

Two prominent cookbook authors, Nagi Maehashi and Sally McKenney, have raised serious allegations against TikTok influencer Brooke Bellamy, accusing her of plagiarizing recipes in her recently published cookbook, "Bake with Brooki." Maehashi, the creator of the well-known food blog RecipeTin Eats, stated that there are "word-for-word similarities" between her recipes and those in Bellamy's book. Bellamy, who runs the successful Brooki Bakehouse, has vigorously denied these claims, asserting that her cookbook features "100 recipes I have created over many years," with one recipe being developed prior to Maehashi's version.

The controversy escalated when Maehashi detailed her concerns about the striking similarities between her caramel slice recipe and the one featured in Bellamy's book. She also found parallels between her baklava recipe and Bellamy's, providing a direct comparison in a statement via her website. Maehashi, who has authored two cookbooks and enjoys a staggering 45 million page views on her blog each month, contacted Bellamy's publisher, Penguin Random House Australia. She described feeling "intimidated" by the legal pressure following her complaints.

In response, both Bellamy and Penguin have adamantly denied any wrongdoing, with the publisher affirming that all recipes in Bellamy's book were crafted by her. Bellamy expressed a willingness to remove contested recipes from future editions to avert further conflict, while maintaining her respect for Maehashi's work. "Recipe development in today's world is enveloped in inspiration from others," Bellamy shared on Instagram, underscoring her perspective on collaborative creativity in baking.

Additionally, US author McKenney echoed similar sentiments, alleging that Bellamy's vanilla cake recipe in her cookbook was also plagiarized. McKenney emphasized on social media the critical importance of crediting original recipe creators, especially in bestselling cookbooks. As the situation unfolds, both Maehashi's and Bellamy's books have gained recognition, recently being shortlisted for the Australian Book Industry Awards. The outcome of these allegations remains to be seen, as discussions around originality and inspiration in the culinary world continue.