Brooki Bakehouse to open Gold Coast store at Pacific Fair in July

Baker and social media star Brooke Bellamy has brushed aside the recipe “plagiarism” controversy to announce her cookie empire expansion to the Gold Coast.

Brooki Bakehouse owner Brooke Bellamy has announced she will open her fourth store on the Gold Coast in July. Photo: Lyndon Mechielsen

Baker and social media star Brooke Bellamy has brushed aside the recipe “plagiarism” controversy to announce her cookie empire expansion to the Gold Coast.

Brooki Bakehouse will open its fourth location, and first outside of Brisbane, at Pacific Fair Shopping Centre in Broadbeach in July.

A photo of one of Brooki’s viral cookies was posted to Instagram on Tuesday.

“July school holidays just got tastier. Brooki Gold Coast store loading,” the post read.

Bellamy said the Gold Coast felt like the “perfect location” to expand.

“We get so many customers travelling to us in Brisbane for their cookie fix or to pick up a celebration cake but now we will have a permanent presence in the Gold Coast for our customers to come and visit us directly,” she said.

“(We) think with the mix of local customers and tourists visiting from around Australia and internationally, this is the perfect location for a Brooki store.”

Brooke Bellamy at her bakery in Fortitude Valley in Brisbane. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

Bellamy said the response from customers has been “pure excitement”.

“There have been hundreds of reshares on Instagram stories and a lot of customers reaching out directly to ask when we will open, where, and if we’re hiring (we are!),” she said.

“We will be open in time for the July school holidays, which are just around the corner.”

Brooki Bakehouse has three million followers across Instagram and TikTok with lines regularly out of the door of customers eager to try her sweet treats.

Bellamy, who is currently expecting her second child, opened her first store in 2022 in Fortitude Valley before expanding to Chermside and Brisbane Airport and hosting an international pop-up in Dubai.

It comes after cookbook author Nagi Maehashi accused Bellamy of plagiarising two of her recipes, including caramel slice and baklava.

Bellamy denies the allegations.

“I’ve never experienced something like I have over the past few weeks,” she said in a TikTok video this week.

“When I was invited to write a cookbook, I was really excited to share all the recipes that I’ve been making since I was small.

“While all of these recipes are personal to me, I cannot say that I have invented the cookies, cupcakes or cakes in the recipe book.

“They are all inspired from somewhere and someone before me.

“Food for me has and always will be inherently a shared experience.”

Bellamy said the Gold Coast store would have free cookies plus merchandise giveaways to celebrate its opening day.

“All of our best selling products and flavours will be available and we always have new flavours dropping in all stores, so be sure to keep an eye out for opening day flavour announcements,” she said.

Originally published as Brooki Bakehouse to open Gold Coast store at Pacific Fair in July