Latest news with #NagiMaehashi
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
RecipeTin Eats founder Nagi Maehashi in tears over a stranger's handwritten note: 'Something weird happened'
Australia's beloved food blogger Nagi Maehashi was left stunned by a stranger's random act of kindness at a restaurant - a surprise gesture that brought her to tears. The RecipeTin Eats founder was dining at the acclaimed seafood restaurant Saint Peter in Sydney with a friend when a nearby patron quietly footed the bill for their meals on Thursday night. Maehashi only discovered her bill had been taken care of when she went to pay, and was surprised when staff gave her a handwritten note from the kind stranger. 'So something really weird, incredible and amazing just happened. Someone actually picked up the bill for us,' she said in a video posted on her Instagram. 'Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. I don't even know who it was because it's anonymous. Kind donors paid for our dinner. 'Whoever my dinner fairy was... thank you.' The note read: 'Nagi, we acknowledge you're not taking donations for RecipeTin Meals. Keep up the great work.' The act of kindness has struck a chord with fans of Maehashi, many of whom have followed her recipes for years - and more recently, admired her for her commitment to charity. Through her not-for-profit food bank RecipeTin Meals, Maehashi funds and prepares over 500 meals every day for vulnerable individuals and families across Sydney. She does not accept public donations and instead funds the initiative herself, using profits from her popular website and best-selling cookbooks. 'I have tears in my eyes because Nagi is generous with her time and money with her food bank and yet when someone can do a small gesture like this for her to acknowledge all she does it brings tears to her eyes,' one fan said. 'Why am I crying?! How beautiful,' another shared. 'Absolutely love this random act of kindness for you Nagi. So many people see the incredible work you do. You're a national treasure,' one shared. 'So many people see the incredible work you do, Nagi. You're a national treasure,' another added. Even culinary royalty had their say, with Nigella Lawson calling the stranger's gesture as 'so lovely, and so deserved.' The heartwarming moment comes just weeks after Maehashi made global headlines by accusing TikTok star and fellow cookbook author Brooke Bellamy of plagiarism. In a post shared on her website and social media, Maehashi claimed Bellamy's debut cookbook Bake With Brooki featured two recipes that closely resembled her own: caramel slice and baklava. The heartwarming moment comes just weeks after Maehashi made global headlines by accusing TikTok star and fellow cookbook author Brooke Bellamy (right) of plagiarism Maehashi alleged Penguin Australia, the publisher of Bellamy's cookbook, had 'exploited' her work without permission. 'To me, the similarities are so specific and detailed that calling these a coincidence feels disingenuous,' Maehashi claimed. 'There are also recipes from other authors… where the similarities are so extensive, dismissing it as coincidence would be absurd (in my opinion).' Maehashi said she felt compelled to speak out against the publishing giant. 'Staying silent protects this kind of behaviour,' she said. Bellamy has since responded on Instagram to vehemently deny the accusations. Despite the stress of the ongoing controversy, the unexpected kindness from a pair of anonymous diners served as a moment of gratitude - and a reminder of how much Maehashi's work means to everyday Australians. 'That's so classy and thoughtful,' one fan wrote. 'You deserve all the kindness that comes your way,' another shared. 'Good things always come around to good people,' one added.
Sydney Morning Herald
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Martha Stewart weighs into RecipeTin Eats v Brooke Bellamy recipe stoush
Having written over 100 books, many of them cookbooks, and spawned countless imitators, who better to comment on the latest food world stoush than the doyenne of homemaking, Martha Stewart? At Wednesday night's headline event for Vivid Sydney, appearing in conversation with Benjamin Law, the 83-year-old was asked by an audience member to weigh in on the ongoing dispute between Nagi Maehashi and Brooke Bellamy. 'To what extent does one own a recipe. Have you ever had your recipe stolen, for instance?' Stewart was asked. 'Probably. But I have so many recipes,' said Stewart. 'In the magazine [ Martha Stewart Living ] we developed thousands of recipes every year and it's hard to develop a recipe without having a repertoire behind that recipe and I don't think too many recipes are owned by anybody. They are handed down,' she said. Last month, RecipeTin Eats founder Nagi Maehashi accused Bake With Brooki author Brooke Bellamy of plagiarising several recipes from her and other cookbook authors, including the late Bill Granger. The two recipes Maehashi claims were stolen from her are caramel slice and baklava. Bellamy strenuously denies the claims. 'I do not copy other people's recipes,' she said in a statement through her lawyers.
The Age
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Martha Stewart weighs into RecipeTin Eats v Brooke Bellamy recipe stoush
Having written over 100 books, many of them cookbooks, and spawned countless imitators, who better to comment on the latest food world stoush than the doyenne of homemaking, Martha Stewart? At Wednesday night's headline event for Vivid Sydney, appearing in conversation with Benjamin Law, the 83-year-old was asked by an audience member to weigh in on the ongoing dispute between Nagi Maehashi and Brooke Bellamy. 'To what extent does one own a recipe. Have you ever had your recipe stolen, for instance?' Stewart was asked. 'Probably. But I have so many recipes,' said Stewart. 'In the magazine [ Martha Stewart Living ] we developed thousands of recipes every year and it's hard to develop a recipe without having a repertoire behind that recipe and I don't think too many recipes are owned by anybody. They are handed down,' she said. Last month, RecipeTin Eats founder Nagi Maehashi accused Bake With Brooki author Brooke Bellamy of plagiarising several recipes from her and other cookbook authors, including the late Bill Granger. The two recipes Maehashi claims were stolen from her are caramel slice and baklava. Bellamy strenuously denies the claims. 'I do not copy other people's recipes,' she said in a statement through her lawyers.
ABC News
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Brooke Bellamy posts first social media video since Nagi Maehashi plagiarism claims
Influencer baker Brooke Bellamy said her recipes are "inspired by somewhere or someone" in her first video blog since cookbook author Nagi Maehashi accused her of plagiarism. "Since opening my bakery three years ago and sharing my life online, I've never had such a long break between videos," the founder of Brooki Bakehouse said in the Instagram reel. Maehashi alleged Bellamy's cookbook plagiarised two of her recipes, which Bellamy has denied. These were recipes for caramel slice and baklava, with Maehashi taking to her social media by posting a side-by-side screenshots of the ingredients, quantities and instructions from the two books. Nearly a month later, Bellamy said in a video blog posted to Brooki Bakehouse's Instagram account that she did not invent the recipes. "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," Bellamy said. "They are all inspired from somewhere and someone before me. "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." Maehashi said the similarities between the recipes amounted to plagiarism but that lawyers for Penguin Random House Australia, which published Bellamy's book, rejected her claim and said all recipes were written by Bellamy. Maehashi posted she had not made the statement "lightly" and did it knowing "it would open the floodgates to haters". Bellamy was dropped as an ambassador for a federally funded program to teach girls to "think like an entrepreneur" after the allegations were made.
News.com.au
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Brooke Bellamy breaks silence over copycat allegations
Embattled celeb baker Brooke Bellamy has made her return to social media after her recipe controversy, addressing her critics in a video filmed at her bakery, Brooki Bakehouse. Last month, fellow celeb chef and RecipeTin Eats founder Nagi Maehashi publicly accused Bellamy of copying her recipes for her popular new cookbook, Bake with Brooki. Maehashi later also accused Bellamy of copying recipes from other renowned foodies, including late Aussie chef Bill Granger. As the claims against her mounted, Bellamy – usually a prolific user of social media – went to ground. In a new post to her Instagram account yesterday – the first posted to her grid since April 28, the day the scandal broke – Bellamy addressed her extended absence. 'Since opening my bakery three years ago and sharing my life online, I've never had such a long break between videos but I've also never experienced something like I have over the last few weeks,' she began. Bellamy said opening her own bakery had been her lifelong dream, and came after she travelled the world 'in search of the best bakeries'. She cited her mother as the biggest inspiration in her cooking, as she 'learned to cook and bake with her in the kitchen growing up.' '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. These recipes have been written down on paper, been handed to me by friends and family, they get passed down through generations, they gets scaled up and scaled down in the bakery setting,' Bellamy said. '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. I never subscribe 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,' she said. Bellamy finished by saying that this public statement was 'all [she'd] say about it, and that she was keen to refocus on her business and her love of baking. Those recipe copying allegations might have momentarily gripped Australia a few weeks back, but it seems not everyone was following the controversy – even among Bellamy's own fanbase. 'I'm confused. Did Brooke get accused of something?' reads the top-rated comment under the post. Fellow author and cook Maehashi accused Bellamy of plagiarising several recipes in her best-selling book, Bake with Brooki. As public outrage grew, Maehashi later called on social media trolls to stop personal attacks towards Bellamy. '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,' she said. Bellamy had shared a statement with in the days following the allegations being aired, saying the backlash she had faced since the accusations first emerged had been 'deeply distressing' both for her and her family. 'The past 24 hours have been extremely overwhelming,' she said/ 'I 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.' Bellamy went on to insist that she has never copied another baker's recipe, and instead has only ever 'drawn inspiration' for her own creations. '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.'
