A Brisbane baker has weighed in on a controversy surrounding two Aussie food influencers and claims of plagiarised recipes.
RecipeTin Eats founder and best-selling author, Nagi Maehashi, has accused Penguin Australia of plagiarising recipes in Brooke Bellamy’s Bake With Brooki.
Nagi took to social media and her website on Tuesday to make the accusations and invited followers to make their own conclusions.
Later that evening, Brooke hit back on Instagram to vehemently deny the accusations.
Now the owner and head baker at popular Brisbane eatery The Annerley Kitchen has given his thoughts on the drama.
Speaking to B105’s Stav, Abby & Matt on Wednesday, baker Tu Pham gave his take on the confection clash.
A Brisbane baker has weighed in on a controversy surrounding two Aussie food influencers and claims of stolen recipes. Pictured: RecipeTin Eats founder Nagi Maehashi
‘Could it be possible that the caramel slice recipe is just a caramel slice recipe and that’s just what it is,’ co-host Stav Davidson asked.
The baker replied that, like a snowflake, every caramel slice was unique.
‘No every caramel slice recipe is different,’ he said. ‘Different ingredients. Similar ingredients but also different.’
‘My caramel slice recipe is different to my brother’s which is different to my other brother’s and we are a family of bakers so every slice is different.’
Co-host Abby Coleman then asked Tu if the use of condensed milk was comment in caramel slice, as Nagi had claimed it was her ‘secret’.
‘Condensed milk is a primary ingredient in the caramel slice,’ he admitted while revealing that vegetarian and vegan versions may use condensed coconut cream as a substitute.
Tu was then asked by Matt Acton to make a judgement call on who was in the right in the foodie fracas.
‘Tu, I guess as an expert in caramel slice, we need to know whose side are you on?’ he questioned.
RecipeTin Eats founder and best-selling author, Nagi Maehashi, has accused Penguin Australia of plagiarising recipes in Brooke Bellamy’s Bake With Brooki including caramel slice and baklava/ Pictured: Brooke Bellamy
Now the owner and head baker at popular Brisbane eatery The Annerley Kitchen (pictured) Tu Pham has given his thoughts on the drama
‘I’ve got to be on the fence,’ Tu diplomatically replied. ‘I don’t want to get in trouble.’
Brooke released her debut cook book in October 2024 after her Brisbane-based store Brooki Bakehouse became a viral sensation on TikTok.
Ms Bellamy’s ‘day in the life’ videos were a huge hit as she gained a following almost four million followers across social media.
But the RecipeTin Eats founder has claimed that Bake With Brooki contains several plagiarised recipes including two of her own – caramel slice and baklava.
‘To me, the similarities are so specific and detailed that calling these a coincidence feels disingenuous,’ Nagi wrote.
‘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 coincidence would be absurd (in my opinion).
The RecipeTin Eats founder said Penguin had denied the allegations via their lawyers, adding that she’s yet to receive a response from Ms Bellamy directly.
In a statement shared by Nagi, the publisher’s lawyers said: ‘Our client respectfully rejects your clients’ allegations and confirms that the recipes in the BWB Book were written by Brooke Bellamy.’
‘No every caramel slice recipe is different,’ Tu told B105’s Stav, Abby & Matt on Wednesday. ‘Different ingredients. Similar ingredients but also different’
Tu was then asked by Matt Acton to make a judgement call on who was in the right in the foodie fracas
‘I’ve got to be on the fence,’ the baker diplomatically replied. ‘I don’t want to get in trouble’
Ms Maehashi, who has now turned off comments on her Instagram post due to legal concerns, claimed she brought the allegations to Penguin’s attention last December.
‘You’re a top tier publisher entrusted with protecting original work and upholding the integrity of the publishing industry,’ she wrote.
‘Your lack of accountability is profoundly disappointing.’
She alleged a new version of Bake With Brooki has quietly been released into stores in recent weeks with one huge difference in its pages.
In Ms Bellamy’s original recipe, caramel is used to make the base in a similar way to Ms Maehashi’s recipe.
The caramel slice recipe has since been tweaked, which Ms Maehashi claims is in response to her claims of plagiarism.
The RecipeTin Eats founder explained she used caramel ‘rather than golden syrup which is the typical recipe’ for this particular dessert.
In a new version of Bake With Brooki released to stores in recent weeks, the caramel slice recipe allegedly features golden syrup as an ingredient.
Ms Maehashi shared both RecipeTin Eats’ and Bake With Brooki’s caramel slice and baklava recipes to give her followers the opportunity to make up their own minds.
