Inside the Glamorous Life of Brooke Bellamy: Jet-Setting Baker Now at Centre of Plagiarism Scandal

Brooke Bellamy, once a globe-trotting travel influencer, is now facing serious plagiarism allegations tied to her debut cookbook, Bake with Brooki. Before her rise in the baking world, the 33-year-old Aussie spent a decade exploring luxury resorts and solo adventures around the world under the blog name World of Wanderlust.

Her travel content, which drew widespread attention, eventually gave way to a new culinary venture. In 2016, Bellamy returned to Tasmania and opened Charlie’s Dessert House, now run by her parents. A few years later, in 2021, she relocated to Brisbane with her then-partner Justice Bellamy—an heir to the Bellamy’s Organic fortune—and launched Brooki Bakehouse, a bakery that has since exploded in popularity, thanks to viral TikTok content.

Mr. Bellamy, who co-directs the bakery, hails from a wealthy family whose infant formula company sold for $1.5 million. The couple recently honeymooned in South Africa at a private game reserve.

However, Brooke’s glittering path has hit a major snag. Fellow baker and food blogger Nagi Maehashi—renowned for her hit platform RecipeTin Eats—has publicly accused Bellamy of copying recipes, including her versions of Caramel Slice and Baklava. Maehashi claims the similarities are “so specific and detailed” that denying plagiarism “feels disingenuous.”

Bellamy firmly denied the allegations on Instagram, asserting: “I did not plagiarise any recipes in my book which consists of 100 recipes I have created over many years.” She also noted that her caramel slice has been a product of hers since 2016, while Maehashi’s recipe was published in 2020. Despite denying wrongdoing, she offered to remove the disputed recipes from future editions to avoid further tension.

Adding fuel to the fire, American baker Sally McKenney stepped forward claiming Bellamy had copied her Vanilla Cake recipe as well, stating that original creators “deserve credit—especially in a best-selling cookbook.”

Publisher Penguin has supported Bellamy, responding via legal representatives: “Our client respectfully rejects your client’s allegations and confirms that the recipes in Bake with Brooki were written by Brooke Bellamy.”

While the controversy brews, both Bellamy and Maehashi—each with strong online followings and entrepreneurial success—remain at the center of a heated public debate over authenticity and creative ownership in the world of baking.