Two popular food authors, Nagi Maehashi and Sally McKenney, are bringing the heat to TikTok influencer Brooke Bellamy, accusing her of lifting their recipes without credit. Maehashi, who runs the hit site RecipeTin Eats and has a massive following, claims that Bellamy's cookbook, "Bake with Brooki," has recipes that mirror hers almost word-for-word.
Despite the backlash, Bellamy fires back, saying the book is full of her unique creations developed over years. In fact, she insists that one of the disputed recipes was created before Maehashi's version came out.
Things intensified when McKenney chimed in, stating that her vanilla cake recipe has also been duplicated. Maehashi pointed out that both of their recipes displayed "remarkable similarities" to those in Bellamy's book, leading to legal actions.
While the publisher, Penguin Random House Australia, and Bellamy deny any wrongdoing, Bellamy offered to remove the contested recipes in future printings. In her defense, she stated that inspiration is a natural part of recipe development, and she respects Maehashi's work.
As this culinary drama unfolds, both Maehashi's and Bellamy's cookbooks have been nominated for the Australian Book Industry Awards, ensuring that this feud will be in the spotlight for some time.