Brooke Bellamy, the founder of Brooki Bakehouse, has announced the closure of her bakery chain following a public dispute with RecipeTin Eats creator Nagi Maehashi over alleged recipe plagiarism. Bellamy, who runs three bakehouses in Queensland, denied the accusations but said the controversy had taken a toll on her business and mental health.
The dispute began when Maehashi accused Bellamy of copying her caramel slice and baklava recipes in Bellamy's cookbook, Bake with Brooki, published by Penguin Random House in October 2024. Maehashi described the alleged copying as 'blatant exploitation' and noted that her recipe income supports her food bank, RecipeTin Meals.
In a statement, Bellamy said she had offered to remove the disputed recipes from future reprints but decided to close the business after facing online abuse. 'Recipe development is built on inspiration, but I never intentionally copied anyone,' she said. 'The backlash has made it impossible to continue.'
The closure marks the end of a brand that had amassed two million TikTok followers. Maehashi's cookbook, RecipeTin Eats: Tonight, topped Australian Christmas bestseller lists in 2024, with Bake with Brooki in second place.
