Brooki Bakehouse vs Recipe Tin Eats: Neglect fuels full-blown crisis
On Tuesday, Nagi Maehashi of Recipe Tin Eats accused Brooke Bellamy of Brooki Bakehouse of plagiarising recipes in her book, Bake With Brooki, published by Penguin. The book has sold close to 100,000 copies, and Maehashi claims Penguin dismissed her claims. Now she has lawyered up, and gone public.
PR crisis expert Sally Branson examines how the whole mess could have been avoided.
Like much of my own baking, the Recipe Tin Eats vs Brooki Bakehouse reputation issue could have been better managed with careful timing and attention. So now, all cooking puns intended, we watch to see if a half-baked strategy is enough to remedy a reputation.
With the tale of two self-made social media bakers, Nagi Maehashi of Recipe Tin Eats and Brooke Bellamy of Brooki Bakehouse, making headlines, this situation exemplifies how unresolved issues can escalate into reputation-damaging crises. The first thought that crossed my mind is ‘how did it get this far?’
Both bakers have carved out significant niches in the culinary world, appealing to overlapping yet distinct demographics with loyal followings. Maehashi has been a catalyst in transforming household cooking with her accessible and reliable recipes, while Bellamy has built a strong brand presence and a bit of a cult following with her bakery and cookbook. Full disclosure: this crisis manager cannot cook a thing without first Googling “Nagi apricot chicken.”
Nagi Maehashi
On her widely followed Instagram, Maehashi accused Bellamy of plagiarising recipes in her book “Bake With Brooki,” published by Penguin.
Maehashi claims that the similarities between her recipes and those in Bellamy’s book are too specific to be coincidental. This accusation has sparked widespread debate on social media, with Maehashi stating that she had attempted to address the issue with Bellamy and Penguin as far back as December, but received no satisfactory response.
A complicating aspect of this dispute is the ethical and legal complexities surrounding recipe plagiarism.
Recipes are notoriously difficult to copyright, making it challenging to establish intellectual property rights. To this end, Maehashi has shared her intellectual property lawyer’s information on social media, almost as a call to arms, encouraging others who feel their recipes have been used without permission to come forward. This move highlights her intent to address a broader issue within the industry, beyond her personal grievances. As well, she states that her book profits go to supporting her food bank, and that she would have shared the recipes if she was asked for attribution.
This is key to why Maehashi has garnered sympathy; she has carefully positioned her accusations to focus on the issue rather than herself. It is a sophisticated approach to a public outing.
The situation escalated when Bellamy responded with an Instagram story. While it’s commendable that she met her market where they are (Instagram), the content feels underdone. It resembles old-school Crisis 101: deny, deny, deny, counterattack. A story on Instagram, with its ephemeral nature, fails to adequately address the gravity of the situation, lacking depth and rigour — posting a picture of a caramel slice from 2016 provides no real proof.
Deeply concerning for Bellamy’s reputation is that other recipe creators have come forward, claiming that their recipes have also been used in her book without permission. The doubt is amplified by the publisher’s reputation. Penguin was responsible for the scam book “The Wholefood Pantry” by Belle Gibson. The resurgence of interest in the Belle Gibson case, partly due to Netflix’s coverage, has cast a shadow over Penguin’s involvement. In reputation management, what precedes your issue, no matter how esoteric, can amplify your current crisis.
I do think this is repairable, but with all similar situations, the answer is not a lawyer consult and an insta-story to buy time. There is some serious work ahead. If this has been bubbling away since last year, all of the public facing comms should have been sitting in a Google drive, or a Canva file ready to go.
Brooke Bellamy with her book
At its core, this story underscores a common scenario I often observe. It’s not the sudden, overnight disaster that typically damages a brand’s reputation: rather, it’s the slow-burning issues that escalate over time because they weren’t dealt with promptly or appropriately. This lack of action has allowed the issue to evolve into a full-blown crisis, now making headlines across Australian media and gaining traction on social platforms.
Ultimately, this situation demonstrates the significant damage that can occur when potential conflicts aren’t addressed early. For me, the real shame is that the attention is not on the amazing business stories of these women, or how great their product is, but on a conflict that should never have reached this point.
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Well I guess my 90yo Nans caramel slice recipe was plagiarised?
She was baking it well before these two were born!
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I’m a Nagi fan as much as anyone but the caramel slice recipe is identical to the Women’s Weekly recipe from decades ago.
Not sure who is plagiarising who here.
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Evidently Maehashi hasn’t done her homework. If she googled the recipes in question she’d likely find endless sources of the recipes in question online, all close to hers, all likely pre-dating hers. This is a clear play to undermine her competition but throwing allegations and scrutiny on them to elevate herself. I wonder how she’d feel if anyone out there.who had recipes close to hers that pre-dated hers stepped forward to sue her? Better yet, wait till.she had a new born baby, then sue her, like she did to Brooki. Notice Maehashi doesnt say “identical”, merely “close to her recupe”. Every Turkish born person who has made baklava should then sue her. Additionally, evidently AI searches for recipes and Brooki’s previous success doesn’t factor in. This is a farce at its finest. Maehashi should not only be ashamed, but should realise this will end badly for her if she pursues this.
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