Plagiarism Accusations Rock Baking Community
(CNN) — Two renowned cookery writers, Nagi Maehashi and Sally McKenney, have accused influencer and bakery owner Brooke Bellamy of plagiarizing their recipes in her popular book, Bake With Brooki, published by Penguin Random House Australia. The allegations surfaced after Maehashi, who operates the RecipeTin Eats website, compared her recipes to those in Bellamy’s book, specifically highlighting similarities in caramel slice and baklava recipes.
Maehashi, a New York Times bestselling author with 1.6 million Instagram followers, expressed her concerns about ethical practices in the cooking community, stating, “Profiting from plagiarized recipes is unethical… and undermines the integrity of the entire book.” She criticized the notion of silence surrounding such allegations and the impact it has on original creators.
In defense, Bellamy, who boasts two million TikTok followers and runs Brooki Bakehouse, claimed she has been making her caramel slice for several years prior to Maehashi’s recipe release. In her public statement, she expressed distress over the accusations and reaffirmed her commitment to originality in her baking endeavors.
McKenney, who supports Maehashi, echoed her concerns on Instagram, sharing her own experience of having a recipe plagiarized from her 2019 publication. She emphasized the importance of recognizing original recipe creators, particularly within the realm of best-selling cookbooks.
Penguin Random House Australia has denied the claims, asserting that the recipes in question are original to Bellamy. As the controversy unfolds, it raises important discussions regarding the boundaries of recipe creation and the ethics of culinary content.
Both Maehashi’s RecipeTin Eats: Tonight and Bellamy’s Bake With Brooki are shortlisted for the 2025 Australian Book Industry Awards, adding a layer of competitiveness to the ongoing dispute over recipe originality.
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