"RecipeTin Eats Founder Takes Revenge on Rival Brooke Bellamy Amid New Twist in Cookbook Plagiarism Scandal"

This title retains the core elements—founder, rivalry, revenge, scandal context, and the emerging twist—while streamlining language and structure for clarity.

Feuding Celebrity Chefs Clash at Australian Book Awards
(Including suggested image placements)

[Image: Nagi Maehashi holding her ABIA award, smiling at the ceremony.]
Caption: Nagi Maehashi won Illustrated Book of the Year at the 2025 ABIA for her cookbook RecipeTin Eats: Tonight.

Nagi Maehashi triumphed at the 2025 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) in Melbourne, securing Illustrated Book of the Year for her cookbook RecipeTin Eats: Tonight. Her rival, Brisbane baker Brooke Bellamy, nominated for Bake with Brooki, was absent amid ongoing plagiarism accusations. Maehashi called the win “exciting,” while Bellamy’s no-show fueled speculation about their bitter feud.

Plagiarism Allegations Ignite Drama
Maehashi accused Bellamy of copying her caramel slice and baklava recipes, sparking a public dispute. In a blog post and Instagram slides, Maehashi claimed a reader alerted her to similarities in Bellamy’s book. “It feels like blatant exploitation,” she wrote, emphasizing her recipes are free online. U.S. baker Sally McKenney and late chef Bill Granger’s estate also alleged Bellamy replicated their vanilla cake and Portuguese tart recipes.

[Image: Side-by-side comparison of Maehashi’s and Bellamy’s recipe pages.]
Caption: Maehashi highlighted overlapping steps and measurements in their recipes.

Bellamy’s Defense and Fallout
Bellamy denied plagiarism, stating her recipes were original creations sold since 2016. “I draw inspiration from classics but never copy,” she said, though she offered to remove disputed recipes from future prints. Penguin Publishing backed her, calling the claims “unfounded.”

The scandal led to Bellamy’s removal as an ambassador for the Academy for Enterprising Girls. She closed her Instagram amid trolling, pleading, “My family and team’s welfare is my priority.” Maehashi urged fans to avoid hate: “Debate respectfully—no trolling.”

[Image: Bellamy at her bakery, looking somber.]
Caption: Bellamy faced backlash and closed her social media accounts.

Industry Reactions
Celebrity chef Luke Mangan criticized Maehashi for allegedly not crediting his recipe in her earlier work, adding complexity to the feud. Meanwhile, Maehashi’s RecipeTin Eats brand thrives with 1.5 million Instagram followers, while Bellamy’s TikTok fame propelled her global pop-up bakeries.

[Image: ABIA Instagram announcement of Maehashi’s win.]
Caption: ABIA’s post celebrated Maehashi’s victory amid the controversy.

Conclusion
The ABIA win caps a tumultuous week for both chefs. While Maehashi solidifies her culinary reputation, Bellamy grapples with reputational damage. The clash underscores the fine line between inspiration and imitation in the competitive world of cookbooks.

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