Celeb chef Nagi Maehashi throws new grenade in recipe book wars with Brisbane cookie queen Brooke Bellamy

Nagi Maehashi has further stoked the flames of her feud with Brisbane baking queen Brooke Bellamy, as the cookie queen continues to refute the claims.

• Fresh blow: More chefs weigh in

Nagi Maehashi has further stoked the flames of her feud with Brisbane baking queen Brooke Bellamy, clapping back at claims surrounding the creation date of one of the recipes she alleges was copied, and suggesting another famous chef’s recipe has similarities to one in Bellamy’s book.

Bellamy was on Wednesday dropped as an ambassador for a federally funded program for young girls in business as she continues to strenuously deny claims from Maehashi that she copied recipes for her hit cookbook.

An academy spokesman said on Wednesday Bellamy would not continue in the role.

“Brooke Bellamy was recently engaged to conduct a small number of promotional activities for the Academy for Enterprising Girls program over the coming months,” he said.

“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.”

Bellamy maintains she developed the recipes over a lifetime of cooking, but on Thursday, Maehashi clapped back at Bellamy’s claims her caramel slice recipe had been created years before her own, sharing a screenshot of the archived recipe, first published in April 2016.

She says that recipe predates Bellamy’s claimed October 2016 recipe development, and Maehashi alleges the recipe directions are copied.

A screenshot of Maehashi's archived recipe, first published in April 2016.

A screenshot of Maehashi's post showing a later date beside Bellamy’s recipe.

In a further statement, Maehashi staunchly defended her allegations saying she did not take the decision to go public lightly.

“I tried for almost six months, going back and forth with Penguin/Brooki. I hired lawyers,” she wrote.

“I also did it knowing it would open the floodgates to haters, and no control over what the press will say.”

Nagi Maehashi claims some of her recipes were copied. Picture: Rob Palmer

It came as celebrity chef Luke Mangan claimed he had not been not credited appropriately for a butter chicken recipe Maehashi had used online and later in her own book.

The butter chicken recipe – adapted from Mangan’s version with the addition of salt and a low-fat cream option – appeared online with a footnote referencing Mangan, while in print he was not mentioned.

The printed version featured a QR code linking to the online credited version.

Maehashi declined to comment, however the book contained the statement that “the author and the publisher have made every effort to contact copyright holders for material used in this book”.

Meanwhile, The Australian reported it had viewed a letter from Maehashi to Bellamy that suggested one of the recipes in Bellamy’s book was a copy of a recipe by the late Bill Granger, likely the Portuguese Tart, which also bears similarities.

Granger’s estate has not yet provided comment.

It is understood that Bellamy, who has a seven-month-old daughter and is pregnant with her second child, is finding the media attention overwhelming.

In an email to media Bellamy’s lawyer Damian Kelly, special counsel at Wilkinson Butler, revealed the embattled baker was trying to reduce stress as she was four months pregnant.

“While Brooke was not keen to raise this matter, and it has no bearing on the story itself, we feel it prudent to provide context,” he wrote.

“Brooke is four months pregnant and, as much as possible for a driven businesswoman, is focused on managing and reducing stress in her life.”

Originally published as Celeb chef Nagi Maehashi throws new grenade in recipe book wars with Brisbane cookie queen Brooke Bellamy