Competitor Brooke Bellamy faces more repercussions in the ongoing cookbook plagiarism controversy as RecipeTin Eats founder takes action against her nemesis.
In the bustling world of celebrity chefs, it's cook-off time as Nagi Maehashi and Brooke Bellamy face off at the prestigious Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) in Melbourne. Maehashi snagged the Illustrated Book of the Year award for her cookbook RecipeTin Eats: Tonight, leaving Bellamy—conspicuously absent—nose-diving in the runner-up spot for her cookbook Bake with Brooki.
The event unveiled 23 awards across various categories, marking the latest chapter in the heated plagiarism saga between the two culinary stars.
Last week, Maehashi accelerated the feud by accusing Bellamy of copying her renowned caramel slice and baklava recipes, sparking a firestorm. In a lengthy blog post on her website and Instagram, Maehashi expressed her concerns, claiming the recipes were "remarkably similar" and profit from plagiarism was unethical.
Maehashi also leveled allegations against Bellamy, claiming she plagiarized other authors, though she didn't name them. Hours after the accusations surfaced, US baker Sally McKenney of Sally's Baking Addiction fame chimed in on Instagram, asserting Bellamy had stolen her vanilla cake recipe.
Two days later, Maehashi insisted Bellamy might have copied "virtually word for word" Portuguese tart's recipe from the late Bill Granger's 2006 cookbook.
Initially, both Penguin and Bellamy denied the allegations. Bellamy argued she had been making and selling her recipes for years before Maehashi’s were published. Most recently, Bellamy has hunkered down in her Brisbane home, pleading for privacy and closing her personal Instagram account following online attacks by trolls.
Despite denying the allegations, Bellamy did express her intent to remove the contested recipes from future reprints to prevent further controversy. However, it's essential to remember that recipes can share common steps and measures, and it's not uncommon for many to be similar. To gather the most accurate and up-to-date information, it is recommended to check the official Australian Book Industry Awards website or recent news articles.
This heated food feud has reverberated, with Bellamy being dropped as an ambassador for the federal initiative Academy for Enterprising Girls. Meanwhile, Maehashi faced criticism from celebrity chef Luke Mangan, who argued she had failed to credit him properly for a recipe used in one of her cookbooks.
Maehashi, author of award-winning cookbooks Dinner and Tonight, maintains a fervent following of 1.5 million on Instagram. In contrast, Bellamy swiftly gained global fame after sharing videos on TikTok, often focusing on cookies, and has opened pop-up stores in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
- The Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) presented 23 awards, sparking a heated plagiarism saga between celebrity chefs Nagi Maehashi and Brooke Bellamy.
- Maehashi won the Illustrated Book of the Year award for her cookbook RecipeTin Eats, while Bellamy ended up as the runner-up for Bake with Brooki.
- Maehashi accused Bellamy of copying her caramel slice and baklava recipes, causing a firestorm in the world of pop-culture.
- In a lengthy blog post, Maehashi also claimed Bellamy plagiarized other authors, an allegation that caused a stir in the business and science communities.
- US baker Sally McKenney joined the fray, asserting on Instagram that Bellamy had stolen her vanilla cake recipe.
- Maehashi alleged that Bellamy copied "virtually word for word" the Portuguese tart's recipe from the late Bill Granger's 2006 cookbook, adding fuel to the controversy.
