Nagi Maehashi, the founder of RecipeTin Eats, has won the Illustrated Book of the Year award at the 2025 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) in Melbourne, defeating rival Brooke Bellamy, who was also nominated for the same prize. The ceremony, held at Zinc Fed Square on Wednesday, marked the latest chapter in a public feud over allegations of recipe plagiarism.
Maehashi's cookbook, RecipeTin Eats: Tonight, took the award, while Bellamy, a Brisbane baker and social media personality, did not attend the event. In a short video before the win, Maehashi said she was 'excited and nervous' to be honoured. The ABIA Instagram page confirmed the win with a simple congratulatory message.
The feud escalated last week when Maehashi accused Bellamy of copying her caramel slice and baklava recipes in Bellamy's cookbook Bake with Brooki. Maehashi detailed her claims in a blog post and on Instagram, stating she had raised concerns with publisher Penguin in December after a reader pointed out similarities. She described the alleged plagiarism as 'a blatant exploitation of my work' and 'unethical'.
Maehashi also alleged that Bellamy copied a Portuguese tart recipe 'virtually word for word' from the late Bill Granger's 2006 cookbook. Additionally, US baker Sally McKenney of Sally's Baking Addiction claimed Bellamy had copied her vanilla cake recipe. Both Penguin and Bellamy denied the allegations, with Bellamy stating she had been creating and selling her recipes since 2016 and that she drew inspiration from classics.
