Influencer and baker Brooke Bellamy has responded to plagiarism accusations from cookbook author Nagi Maehashi, stating that her recipes are drawn from various inspirations. This marks her first video blog since the allegations surfaced.
“In the three years since opening my bakery and sharing my journey online, I’ve never gone this long without posting a video,” said Bellamy, founder of Brooki Bakehouse, in a reel posted to Instagram.
“But I’ve also never gone through something like this before.”
Maehashi previously claimed that Bellamy’s cookbook included two recipes — for caramel slice and baklava — that closely resembled her own. She shared side-by-side comparisons of the recipes’ ingredients, measurements, and methods on social media to support her claim.
Bellamy has denied the accusation, clarifying in her video that although the recipes are meaningful to her, she does not claim to have created them from scratch.
“These recipes are all personal to me, but I’ve never claimed to have invented cookies, cupcakes, brownies, or cakes,” she said.
“They are all inspired by someone or something.”
She also rejected the idea that the situation should create conflict between women in the same field.
“I never wanted to be part of a narrative that pits two women in the same industry against each other,” she added.
“There’s space for everyone, and we need more women in business.”
Maehashi stood by her allegations, stating that the similarities amounted to plagiarism. However, Penguin Random House Australia — the publisher of Bellamy’s cookbook — responded through legal representatives, stating that the recipes were original and authored by Bellamy.
Maehashi said she did not make the accusation lightly and was aware it might lead to backlash.
Following the controversy, Bellamy was removed from her role as an ambassador for a government-funded program aimed at encouraging entrepreneurial thinking in girls.
