Latest news with #FortitudeValley
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Brooke Bellamy reveals new business move after admitting she didn't 'invent' her recipes in comeback message to rival who claimed her ideas were stolen
An embattled baker who was accused of plagiarising her recipes has revealed she is expecting her second child and that she will be opening two new locations. Brooke Bellamy revealed her plans for expansion on Sunday while celebrating the three year anniversary of running Brooki Bakehouse. The bakehouse already has three locations and is 'about to open their fourth and fifth locations'. 'It's kind of crazy how much has happened over the past three years,' Ms Bellamy said in an Instagram video. 'And if you haven't heard the news already I'm excited to say that a second baby Brooki is on the way.' The baking influencer returned to social media on Saturday following a brief hiatus after two high-profile chefs argued her bestselling cookbook Bake with Brooki contained their recipes. Bellamy admitted in her comeback post she did not 'invent' the recipes in her cookbook, clarifying she had been 'inspired from somewhere and someone'. 'Since opening my bakery three years ago and sharing my life online, I've never had such a long break between videos,' she said in the video. 'But I've also never experienced something like I have over the last few weeks.' RecipeTin Eats founder Nagi Maehashi sparked an internet frenzy in April when she went public on her world famous blog with claims her caramel slice and Baklava recipes had been stolen for use in the book. The video posted on Saturday showed Bellamy as she returned to her Fortitude Valley bakery in Brisbane's inner-city before dawn and slipped on her iconic pink 'Brooki' apron. The high-profile baker admitted that while each of the 100 recipes in the book were 'personal' to her, they each drew on existing recipes in some way for inspiration. 'While all of these recipes are personal to me, I cannot say that I have invented the cookies, cupcakes, brownies or cakes in the recipe book. They are all inspired from somewhere and someone before me,' she said. Bellamy said she had been influenced by creators across the world but said her mother remained her main inspiration. 'I have been so inspired by bakeries and bakers the world over but the biggest inspiration in my life is my mum because I learnt to cook and bake with her in the kitchen growing up,' she said. Penguin Australia and Bellamy have denied the allegations since Bellamy first tackled Maehashi's claims head-on on April 29. Bake With Brooki was published by Penguin in October last year and retails for $49.99. 'I did not plagiarise any recipes in my book, which consists of 100 recipes I have created over many years, since falling in love with baking as a child and growing up baking with my mum in our home,' she wrote. 'On March 2020, RecipeTin Eats published a recipe for caramel slice. It uses the same ingredients as my recipe, which I have been making and selling since four years prior.' The following day, on April 30, Bellamy again denied copying the recipes but suggested all baker's share common methods. 'I do not copy other people's recipes. Like many bakers, I draw inspiration from the classics, but the creations you see at Brooki Bakehouse reflect my own experience, taste, and passion for baking, born of countless hours of my childhood spent in my home kitchen with Mum,' she said. 'While baking has leeway for creativity, much of it is a precise science and is necessarily formulaic. 'Many recipes are bound to share common steps and measures: if they don't, they simply don't work.' Maehashi is not the only baker to have levelled plagiarism claims against Bellamy. Hours after Maehashi went public with her claims, American baker and author Sally McKenny claimed her own vanilla cake recipe had also been stolen for use in the cookbook as well as on Bellamy's YouTube channel. 'Original recipe creators who put in the work to develop and test recipes deserve credit - especially in a best-selling cookbook,' McKenny wrote.
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Brooki Bakehouse founder makes huge admission after she was accused of copying rival behind RecipeTin Eats
A popular baking influencer who was twice accused of plagiarising recipes in her best-selling cookbook has admitted not all recipes in the book were of her own invention - but also shared a pointed message to critics. In a video posted to social media on Saturday, Brooki Bakehouse founder Brooke Bellamy announced she had returned to work weeks after being mired in back-to-back plagiarism scandals relating to her best-selling cookbook, Bake With Brooki. 'Since opening my bakery three years ago and sharing my life online, I've never had such a long break between videos,' Bellamy said in the video. 'But I've also never experienced something like I have over the last few weeks.' RecipeTin Eats founder Nagi Maehashi sparked an internet frenzy in April when she went public on her world famous blog with claims her caramel slice and Baklava recipes had been stolen for use in the book. The video posted on Saturday showed Bellamy as she returned to her Fortitude Valley bakery in Brisbane 's inner-city before dawn and slipped on her iconic pink 'Brooki' apron. The high-profile baker admitted that while each of the 100 recipes in the book were 'personal' to her, they each drew on existing recipes in some way for inspiration. 'While all of these recipes are personal to me, I cannot say that I have invented the cookies, cupcakes, brownies or cakes in the recipe book. They are all inspired from somewhere and someone before me,' she said. RecipeTin Eats founder Nagi Maehashi (pictured) sparked a firestorm when she claimed Bellamy copied two of her recipes Bellamy said she had been influenced by creators across the world but said her mother remained her main inspiration. 'I have been so inspired by bakeries and bakers the world over but the biggest inspiration in my life is my mum because I learnt to cook and bake with her in the kitchen growing up,' she said. 'When I was invited to write a cookbook I was really excited to share all of the recipes that I've been making since I was small.' On Saturday, Ms Bellamy lamented having been mired drawn into the dispute which, she claimed, stoked unwanted division between female bakers. 'I never subscribed to be a part of a narrative that pits two women against each other especially in the same industry. I think there's room for everyone, especially more women in business.' Penguin Australia and Bellamy have denied the allegations since Bellamy first tackled Maehashi's claims head-on on April 29. Bake With Brooki was published by Penguin in October last year and retails for $49.99. 'I did not plagiarise any recipes in my book, which consists of 100 recipes I have created over many years, since falling in love with baking as a child and growing up baking with my mum in our home,' she wrote. 'On March 2020, RecipeTin Eats published a recipe for caramel slice. It uses the same ingredients as my recipe, which I have been making and selling since four years prior.' The following day, on April 30, Bellamy again denied copying the recipes but suggested all baker's share common methods. 'I do not copy other people's recipes. Like many bakers, I draw inspiration from the classics, but the creations you see at Brooki Bakehouse reflect my own experience, taste, and passion for baking, born of countless hours of my childhood spent in my home kitchen with Mum,' she said. 'While baking has leeway for creativity, much of it is a precise science and is necessarily formulaic. 'Many recipes are bound to share common steps and measures: if they don't, they simply don't work.' Maehashi is not the only baker to have levelled plagiarism claims against Bellamy. Hours after Maehashi went public with her claims, American baker and author Sally McKenny claimed her own vanilla cake recipe had also been stolen for use in the cookbook as well as on Bellamy's YouTube channel. 'Original recipe creators who put in the work to develop and test recipes deserve credit - especially in a best-selling cookbook,' McKenny wrote. The Sally's Baking Addiction blogger said Maehashi had first alerted her to the alleged plagiarism. Despite rejecting the allegations, Bellamy promptly offered to remove the three recipes from future editions of the book. Matters went from bad to worse for Bellamy earlier this month when she was stripped of her ambassadorship for the Academy for Enterprising Girls; a government program designed to support female entrepreneurs. Days later, she was snubbed of the Illustrated Book of the Year award at the 2025 Australian Book Industry Awards in Melbourne which instead went to Maehashi. Amid the public backlash against the Brisbane baker, Maehashi took to social media to insist people stop issuing 'personal attacks' against Bellamy. 'Please stop the trolling', she said in a video posted to Instagram on May 2. 'Now, I know I've made serious allegations, but this does not justify the personal attacks that I've seen online against Brooke Bellamy. I do not support it, and I'm asking you to stop.' Maehashi reminded her followers her legal claim against Bellamy's publisher Penguin Australia was a 'business dispute' and ought not to be treated as a personal grievance. 'These are legal allegations that I have made against Penguin, a corporate, allegations made by my company,' she said. 'So, we've got to be respectful about this. You know, it's the RecipeTin way.'
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The Veronicas star Jessica Origliasso and her fiancée Alex Smith are the picture of domestic bliss in Brisbane
Jessica Origliasso and fiancée Alex Smith enjoyed a casual day out in Brisbane on Saturday, in spite of terrible weather. The couple were spotted on busy shopping and food strip James Street in Fortitude Valley to enjoy a morning coffee. The Veronicas star, 40, went casual for the weekend outing, stepping out in a black Chrome Hearts hooded jumper. The relaxed fit jumper featured a yellow and orange patten on the sleeves and a long hood drawstring. It also comes with quite an 'uncasual' price tag of $3000. Jessica matched her luxe hoodie with a black leather A-line skirt that flowed freely down her trim pins. She finished her look with a pair of chunky black Balenciaga combat-style boots with a $1750 price tag. Going make-up free for the outing, Jessica wore her raven locks back in a tight ponytail. She accessorised simply, too, carrying her mobile phone which she occasionally looked to as the couple strolled. Alex, meanwhile, also dressed casually in a dark grey T-shirt that she wore over a chocolate brown zip-up sweater. She also wore a pair of dark grey pants and a pair of black and white Nike sneakers, finishing her look with a black baseball cap. While Jessica was content to scroll on her phone, Alex's hands were otherwise occupied with what appeared to be a cold brew coffee and a café treat in a brown paper bag. The couple appeared comfortable and relaxed in each other's company as they walked amid the rainy Brisbane Saturday. The outing comes after the couple were spotted packing on the PDA after a romantic lunch date in Sydney earlier this month. The relaxed fit jumper featured a yellow and orange patten on the sleeves and a long hood drawstring. It also comes with quite an 'uncasual' price tag of $3000 Jessica and Alex enjoyed lunch at celebrity hotspot Mimi's in Coogee, before enjoying a stroll on an inclement Sydney day. The pair looked besotted as they embarked on a stroll after their romantic lunch date. They could be seen holding hands and beaming broadly as they walked amid an overcast day. Not ones to hide their love, Jessica and Alex stopped, at one point for a sweet smooch on the street. The couple were seen smiling as they looked into each other's eyes, lost in the tender moment. Jessica announced her engagement to fiancée Alex back in 2022 as she and her jewellery designer partner showed off their huge diamond rings. She posted photos of the pair all loved up to Instagram with the caption: 'WIFED. (Still crying a week later.) I've waited my whole life for you. 'I can't wait to marry you. Thank you to everyone for the love and comments the past week. I'm sorry if we haven't got back yet, I promise we will xx,' she continued. Jessica 'closed down' the Catacombs of Paris and proposed to Alex as they toured the tunnels lined with human skulls. She read out a speech to her Los Angeles-based love, who shed a few tears, before getting down on one knee. Jessica's sister Lisa commented on both posts. 'Mummy says well done my Jessie,' she wrote on the engagement video before later adding: 'PSA: Yes, everyone. I approve!' Jessica's romance with Alex came after she announced she had split from her American musician fiancé, Kai Carlton, in October 2020. She told fans she 'was not afforded any real explanation' for their separation, and wished to put the relationship 'behind her'. 'To all the souls messaging me about Kai - we are no longer together,' Jess told fans at the time. 'I was not afforded any real explanation to address this with clarity here,' Jessica added, hinting she was dumped by her former lover. Prior to Kai, Jessica was in a relationship with actress Ruby Rose. Jess and Ruby briefly dated in 2008 before rekindling their romance on set of The Veronicas' music video for On Your Side in 2016. They split once again in April 2018.
News.com.au
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Actor Melina Vidler's family home hits the market
Aussie actor Melina Vidler moved a dozen-odd times growing up as her property developer parents traded in Brisbane's rising market. For the past five years, the Logie winner has returned to the family's Fortitude Valley cottage between shoots — but now Wayne and Kaylene Vidler are on the move again. Their 1880s-era cottage, which they bought for $925,000 in 2019, is on the market through an expressions of interest campaign with Place Bulimba agents Tom Kralikas and Georgia Glen. Brisbane house prices have surged 68 per cent since the pandemic, reaching a median of $915,000 across all suburbs, according to PropTrack. If that blistering pace continues, the typical house in the city could cost $1.54m by 2030. The Vidlers have built equity by extensively renovating the property at 8 Hynes Street, which was being used as office space when they bought it. The couple, who raised their three children while trading in real estate from city apartments to sprawling Samford Valley estates, now plan to downsize. 'But there'll always be a place for Melina,' Kaylene said. 'That's a requirement.' What Labor's win means for first-home buyers Aussie capital named top two city in the world Melina was home ahead of the launch of her latest film, With or Without You. 'Mum and Dad are home, at the end of the day. They always have been,' the 32-year-old said. 'I've definitely built a connection to this house, and Brisbane is always a place I want to come back to.' Vidler's breakout role in 800 Words earned her the 2016 Logie for Most Outstanding Newcomer. Her credits include Kidnapped, Love in Bloom, and Elvis. The three-bedroom home has a spacious kitchen with a breakfast bar and standout al fresco entertaining zone. 'There was nothing out the back – just some gravel and a few palm trees,' Kaylene said. 'We spent a lot of time and effort renovating to create a space where all the family could spend time together.' Sons Beau and Brent live in Melbourne but return for Christmas. Melinda, meanwhile, splits her time between Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast. 'I've been nomadic for far too long,' said the former Ferny Grove State High School student. 'I'm happily single and independent — but I'm looking to dive back into the dating world again. 'I'd definitely like some stability down the track.'
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Bakery guru Brooke Bellamy and her husband break cover as she's seen for the first time since her caramel slice copycat row with RecipeTin Eats cook Nagi
Baker Brooke Bellamy has been seen in public for the first time since being accused of plagiarism in her best-selling cookbook. She broke cover with her husband Justice Bellamy - making a fashion statement by wearing Crocs with socks - as they visited a Brisbane office block housing a firm of lawyers and financial planners. Brooke has kept firmly hidden from view since RecipeTin Eats founder Nagi Maehashi accused her of stealing recipes for her debut cookbook Bake with Brooki. The couple were pictured leaving her Brooki Bakehouse in Fortitude Valley in inner Brisbane on Thursday, wearing chef-favoured clogs. Dressed in Birkenstock clogs and an oversized hoody, newly-pregnant Brooke looked downcast as she engaged with her husband, clad in pale Crocs and grey socks. The rubber clogs are popular amongst chefs, bakers and kitchen hands due to their comfort and safety in the demanding kitchen environment and are designed to be non-slip, preventing falls on potentially slippery surfaces It's the first time the pair have been seen together since allegations of copyright infringement came to light. Last week, Ms Maehashi raised claims two of her recipes had been taken without permission or attribution. Sally McKenney, the US author and blogger behind Sally's Baking Addiction, came forward with similar claims about Ms Bellamy hours later. Ms Bellamy has denied the accusations, saying she had been making and selling her recipes well before Ms Maehashi's were published. The saga took a turn on Wednesday night at the 2025 Australian Book Industry Awards in Melbourne where both Brooke and Nagi were nominated for Illustrated Book of the Year category. She then appeared to take a subtle swipe at Brooke, who was a no-show at the event despite being nominated. 'It's so exciting. I'm very nervous, but also very happy to be here amongst all this incredible talent,' she said. While Brooke was nowhere to be seen, Nagi took the prize for her cookbook RecipeTin Eats: Tonight. Losing out to her nemesis was the latest blow for Brooke, who also was stripped of her ambassadorship for the Academy for Enterprising Girls; a government program to help girls think like an entrepreneur and start their own business one day. 'Brooke Bellamy was recently engaged to conduct a small number of promotional activities for the Academy for Enterprising Girls program over the coming months,' an academy spokesman told Daily Mail Australia. 'While we make no legal assessment on the allegations aired in the media, we have informed Bellamy that we will not move forward with the engagement at this time.' The plagiarism row took a further twist on Wednesday night when award-winning chef/restaurateur Luke Mangan accused Ms Maehashi of not crediting him appropriately for one of his recipes. He said that while she did provide a footnote credit to him for a butter chicken recipe she had used online and in her book, she should have got in touch to say she was using it, and to provide a link to his website. 'If a recipe is borrowed one should be asked for permission,' he said. 'To my knowledge we were not asked to use that particular recipe.' He said he would expect any one who uses his recipes should include the name of the book it came through and credit both his website and the restaurant name. Ms Maehashi adapted Mr Mangan's butter chicken recipe - adding salt and a low-fat cream option - and referenced the chef in a footnote online. Mr Mangan was not mentioned in the print copy but it did feature a QR code linking to the online credited version. Ms Maehashi's book includes the statement 'the author and the publisher have made every effort to contact copyright holders for material used in this book'. Both Mr Mangan and Ms Maehashi were contacted by Daily Mail Australia for comment. The plagiarism row erupted on Tuesday when Ms Maehashi posted a series of claims that Ms Bellamy had copied recipes for her million-dollar book. The allegations relate to Ms Maehashi's caramel slice and baklava recipe, along with Ms McKenney's Best Vanilla Cake recipe. Ms McKenney posted on social media, saying she was first alerted to the similarity months ago. She said her recipe was first published in 2019. 'One of my recipes was also plagiarised in this book and also appears on the author's YouTube channel,' she said. 'Original recipe creators who put in the work to develop and test recipes deserve credit - especially in a best selling cookbook.' Ms Bellamy issued a plea for privacy in the wake of the fresh claims made by Ms McKenney on Wednesday. 'The past 24 hours have been extremely overwhelming,' a statement read. 'II have had media outside my home and business, and have been attacked online. It has been deeply distressing for my colleagues and my young family. 'While baking has leeway for creativity, much of it is a precise science and is necessarily formulaic. Many recipes are bound to share common steps and measures: if they don't, they simply don't work. 'My priority right now is to ensure the welfare of the fantastic team at Brooki Bakehouse and that of my family.' Bake With Brooki is a bestselling cookbook published by Penguin in October last year and retails for $49.99. Ms Bellamy quickly became a global sensation after sharing videos on TikTok, which receive millions of views each day. She is best known for her cookies and has opened pop-up stores in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Both Penguin and Ms Bellamy deny the allegations. 'I did not plagiarise any recipes in my book which consists of 100 recipes I have created over many years,' Ms Bellamy said on Tuesday night. 'In 2016, I opened my first bakery. I have been creating my recipes and selling them commercially since October 2016.' Ms Bellamy posted an image showing her caramel slice, which dated back to December 2016. 'On March 2020, RecipeTin Eats published a recipe for caramel slice. It uses the same ingredients as my recipe, which I have been making and selling since four years prior,' she said. While the Brisbane baker insisted she did not copy the recipes, she 'immediately offered to remove both from future reprints to prevent further aggravation'. In Ms Maehashi's Instagram post, she described Ms Bellamy of ' profiting' from the alleged plagiarised recipes. Ms Maehashi claims she first raised concerns with Penguin in December. 'I put a huge amount of effort into my recipes. And I share them on my website for anyone to use for free,' she said. 'To see them plagiarised (in my view) and used in a book for profit, without credit, doesn't just feel unfair. It feels like a blatant exploitation of my work.'
