Plagiarism allegations involving a bestselling cookbook have placed Fortitude Valley’s Brooki Bakehouse at the centre of a public copyright dispute.
Background and Context
Brooke Bellamy, founder of Brooki Bakehouse in Fortitude Valley, has denied claims that recipes in her cookbook Bake With Brooki were copied from prominent food content creators. The allegations emerged after RecipeTin Eats’ Nagi Maehashi and US-based baker Sally McKenney raised concerns about similarities between Ms Bellamy’s published recipes and their own.
Ms Maehashi said she became aware of the issue in November 2024 after a reader contacted her about potential overlap. She published a detailed article on her website on 30 April 2025, including side-by-side comparisons of her caramel slice and baklava recipes with those featured in Ms Bellamy’s cookbook. Ms McKenney claimed that a vanilla cake recipe she published in 2019 was used in the book without acknowledgment.
Penguin Random House Australia, the publisher, denied the claims and maintained that the cookbook’s recipes were created by Ms Bellamy.
Recipe Similarities at the Centre
The claims relate to recipes Ms Bellamy included in her cookbook, which has generated nearly $5 million in sales within six months. Ms Maehashi stated that she made no request for financial compensation, but asked for the allegedly copied recipes to be removed from future reprints and for a charitable donation to be made in lieu.
Ms Bellamy stated via Instagram that she has sold her caramel slice since 2016 and said the 100 recipes in her book reflect years of personal baking experience.She said she offered to remove the recipes in question to avoid further escalation.
Fortitude Valley Store and Business Expansion
The Fortitude Valley flagship remains operational. Ms Bellamy’s husband, Justice Bellamy, was present at the store on the morning of 30 April but declined to speak in detail, saying only that his wife would not be present and thanking the community for their support.
Just days earlier, Ms Bellamy had returned from two successful international Brooki Bakehouse pop-ups in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where wait times for cookies reached two hours. Plans for a third overseas pop-up and a new Australian location are underway, with expansion efforts now led by Justice Bellamy.
Community Sentiment Divided
At Brooki Bakehouse in Fortitude Valley, customer reactions varied. Some were unaware of the situation, while others said the issue raised valid questions. One customer said the overlap in recipes was difficult to ignore, given the scale of the cookbook’s success. Another expressed support for Ms Bellamy, citing her longstanding work in baking and content creation.
Next Steps
The situation remains unresolved, with no indication that Penguin Random House will recall the cookbook. While Ms Maehashi has not dismissed the possibility of legal proceedings, she emphasised her focus is on acknowledgment and responsibility. Brooki Bakehouse remains open in Fortitude Valley as the copyright issue continues to attract broader industry attention.
Published 1-May-2025