Source : the age
RecipeTin Eats founder Nagi Maehashi has accused Bake With Brooki author Brooke Bellamy of stealing recipes from her and other unnamed authors, claiming “the similarities [with two of her own recipes] are so specific and detailed that calling these a coincidence feels disingenuous”.
Bake With Brooki by Bellamy – owner of Brooki Bakehouse in Brisbane and author – was published by Penguin in October last year and retails for $49.99.
Penguin has denied the allegations, “stating (via their lawyers) ‘Our client respectfully rejects your client’s allegations and confirms that the recipes in [Bake With Brooki] were written by Brooke Bellamy’,” according to a post on Maehashi’s Instagram page.
RecipeTin Eats founder and owner Nagi Maehashi with her dog, Dozer.Credit: Rob Palmer
Maehashi wrote that “profiting” from alleged plagiarism was “unethical, even if not copyright breach”.
This masthead does not suggest the accusations of plagiarism are true, only that they have been made. Penguin and Bellamy have been approached for comment.
The RecipeTin Eats recipes at issue are for caramel slice and baklava, and Maehashi has posted side-by-side pictures of these two recipes from the two books.
“There are also recipes from other authors, including from a very well known, beloved cookbook author where the similarities are so extensive, dismissing it as a coincidence would be absurd (in my opinion),” Maehashi claimed.
“Out of respect for the other authors, I cannot share further details at this time.
Brooke Bellamy, author of Bake With Brooki.
“I have nothing to gain from speaking out, but staying silent would make me complicit. Because I am not the only one,” Maehashi alleged.
In a post on her RecipeTin Eats website, Maehashi said she first raised concerns with Penguin in December following a reader’s email and has engaged her own legal representation.
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