Two prominent food writers, Nagi Maehashi of RecipeTin Eats and Sally McKenney of Sally’s Baking Addiction, have accused influencer and bakery owner Brooke Bellamy of plagiarizing their recipes in her bestselling book Bake With Brooki, published by Penguin Random House Australia. The allegations, which Bellamy denies, claim that several recipes in the book, including caramel slice and baklava, were copied from Maehashi and McKenney’s own work.
Maehashi, whose RecipeTin Eats: Dinner became a New York Times bestseller, shared the allegations on her website, comparing the similar recipes side by side. She emphasized the detailed similarities between the recipes, which she believes cannot be dismissed as coincidence.
“I’m speaking up because staying silent protects this kind of behaviour,” Maehashi wrote. “Profiting from plagiarized recipes is unethical—even if it is not copyright infringement—and undermines the integrity of the entire book.”
In response, Penguin’s legal team denied the plagiarism claims, stating that the recipes in Bake With Brooki were written by Bellamy. Maehashi’s book and Bellamy’s Bake With Brooki are both shortlisted for the illustrated book of the year prize at the 2025 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA).
McKenney also supported Maehashi’s claims on Instagram, revealing that one of her recipes, The Best Vanilla Cake I’ve Ever Had, was also plagiarized in Bellamy’s book and YouTube channel. McKenney highlighted the importance of crediting original recipe creators, especially in bestselling cookbooks.
In defense, Bellamy published a post denying the allegations, stating she had been making and selling her caramel slice long before Maehashi’s recipe was published. Bellamy, who operates three Brooki Bakehouse locations, explained that while many bakers are inspired by classic recipes, her creations are a reflection of her own experience and passion for baking.
Maehashi acknowledged the difficulty in challenging plagiarism legally, noting that copyright law protects creative expression, not functional instructions. While similar recipes may not constitute copyright infringement, she pointed out that the lack of credit to original creators remains unethical.
Source: Swifteradio.com
