Latest news with #BrookiBakehouse
Daily Mirror
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Mum and daughter declare winner in worldwide search for best baked good
Jessica Morgan-Helliwell, 26, and her Louise Church, 48, are 'Bakery Tourists'- trying posh treats at artisan bakeries from Australia to Prague and Marrakech A mother and daughter duo have embarked on a sweet adventure, scouring the globe for the ultimate pastry experience as self-proclaimed ' Bakery Tourists'. From Australia to Prague and Marrakech, Jessica Morgan-Helliwell, 26, and Louise Church, 48, been indulging in artisan bakeries' posh treats for the past two years. Their shared passion for pastries and bakes drives them to visit at least one new artisan bakery every weekend, meticulously planning their trips abroad around these culinary hotspots. Under the social media handle @loveeatdrinktravel, they share their discoveries with the world. Among their standout finds are the cherry bomb pastry at Prague's Artic Bakehouse and the almond croissant cookie at Brooki Bakehouse in Brisbane. However, despite exploring renowned bakeries in London, Marrakech, and beyond, Jess and Louise confess that their all-time favourite spot lies just eight miles from home. Their crowning jewel is the hot cross bun croissant at Little Valley Bakery in Swansea, South Wales. "They had croissants with the iconic hot cross bun cross on top, and a buttery raisin filling - and it did actually taste like a hot cross bun. It was really unique," Louise raved. Jess echoed her sentiments: "It had buttery spiced frangipane, flaky croissant layers, and that iconic hot cross bun cross." Jess attributed their pastry obsession to their long-standing love affair with baked goods. This passion has taken them on an extraordinary journey, uncovering hidden gems in their own backyard and around the world. We've got Italian heritage - my great-great grandparents are from Italy, so we love trying Italian bakes and food. "We go to all kinds of different places and try new things along the way," Jess said. "We look at social media a lot for inspiration - I think that can be a really good way of finding new places to go. We always have an eye on the local area as well - we've got a lot of bakeries that have opened close to us recently. "If we're going abroad, we always have a look to see what's about. We've just got back from Prague, and social media was a big part of looking into where to go. We've been doing social media content creating for about two years now, and going to all the local restaurants. "We found that we were always looking for new places to go, so we thought we'd start documenting it ourselves - that's where @loveeatdrinktravel came from." Bakery enthusiasts Jess and Louise are always in search of establishments that innovate on beloved classics, stressing that presentation is nearly as crucial as flavour. Louise added: "We're constantly looking for places to go - we never sit still! We love adventuring, so we're always planning where we're going on our next trip. We always try and go somewhere new on the weekends if we can. "We're planning our next trip abroad in a few weeks, to Marrakech, so we're already looking at places to try there. We go to London a lot - London is about three hours from where we live in South Wales, so we plan our trips around where we want to try." Louise's prime pick is a classic almond croissant, whereas Jess swears by a tangier treat, having hailed a recent raspberry croissant as "one of the best things I've ever tasted." Louise noted: "On social media, people tend to love the pastry and bakery finds more than anything else at the minute. I think a lot of people are interested in unique bakes as well - something different from the norm and aesthetically pleasing. I think people eat with their eyes, so it's good to find somewhere the pastries look really tasty." Sharing about their local gems, Louise revealed: "There's a local bakery to us - Little Valley Bakery - and around Easter time, they were doing hot cross bun croissants. They had croissants with the iconic hot cross bun cross on top, and a buttery raisin filling - and it did actually taste like a hot cross bun. It was really unique." Despite their adventures, several of Jess and Louise's cherished bakeries, including Little Valley Bakery and Refinery in Swansea, are conveniently located nearby, leading them to plan a new TikTok series featuring the families behind some of their favourite haunts. "A lot of Italian families moved to South Wales during the war and started cafes that do homemade cannolis and traditional pastries - so we want to try as many as we can find and talk to the families about what it's been like to be in the cafe business for so long," Louise. However, after two years of globetrotting and content creation, Jess and Louise agree that the highlight of their journey is the chance to spend quality time together, all while indulging in scrumptious sweet treats. "We absolutely love doing it - and it's a great way of spending time together as well," Jess shared. "We go to all kinds of different places and try new things along the way - I think it's really nice."
7NEWS
30-05-2025
- Business
- 7NEWS
Brooki Bakehouse owner Brooke Bellamy announces new Brisbane and Gold Coast stores alongside international pop-up in UAE
Celebrity baker Brooke Bellamy has announced a string of new stores following plagiarism allegations earlier this year. The Brisbane -based cookie influencer is set to open two new stores in Queensland next month, as well as a new international pop-up store. The new stores in Queensland will be located at Pacific Fair shopping centre in Broadbeach on the Gold Coast and at Westfield Garden City in Upper Mt Gravatt. The international pop-up will open in the UAE by the end of the year, following other successful pop-ups in the Middle East. accused Brooke Bellamy, who founded Brooki Bakehouse, of reproducing recipes from the RecipeTin Eats website and other authors in her book Bake With Brooki. Sally McKenney, the baker behind Sally's Baking Addiction, also accused Bellamy of copying a recipe. Bellamy and Penguin Random House Australia, which published the book, denied the allegations. 'This is a story about a multimillion-dollar cookbook by a social media influencer, published by a blue-chip publisher, featuring numerous recipes that, in my opinion, are plagiarised, given the detailed and extensive word-for-word similarities to mine and those of other authors,' Maehashi said at the time. Bellamy addressed the controversy on Saturday, announcing she was ready to get back to her bakery. 'I've never experienced something like I have over the last few weeks,' she told her two million supporters on TikTok. 'When I was invited to make a cookbook, I was really excited to share all the recipes I've been making since I was small.' Bellamy said while she had been inspired and influenced by bakeries and bakers the world over, her biggest inspiration was her mother, who taught her how to cook and bake. 'These recipes have been written down on paper, handed to me by friends and family, they get passed down by generations, they get scaled up and scaled down in the bakery settings. '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.' Brooki Bakehouse's celebrated its third birthday on Saturday at their Valley location in Brisbane, with people lining up in the early hours of the morning for free cookies and to snap a picture with Bellamy. There are no known legal proceedings against Bellamy at this time.
Sydney Morning Herald
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Even Martha Stewart was made to wait for a table at Totti's
Italians might have taught the world how to eat, but it was Martha Stewart who taught Americans how to cook. And garden. And entertain. Stewart, the OG lifestyle influencer, the United States' first female self-made billionaire, convicted felon and octogenarian social media star was on stage at Darling Harbour on Wednesday night, interviewed by writer Benjamin Law as part of Vivid Sydney. Her appearance, fresh on the heels of a hit Netflix documentary, was quite a coup for the festival which has seen its sheen dim in recent years. Lately, it's become better known for annoying crowds and price hikes now that the novelty value of 'bright lights in city' has worn off. On stage, Stewart weighed into the ongoing recipe feud between Nagi Maehashi (aka RecipeTin Eats) and TikToker Brooke Bellamy (aka Brooki Bakehouse), but wisely chose not to definitively pick a side. She also had a few words on the state of dining in Sydney, revealing that she'd eaten at Totti's Bondi, Justin Hemmes' influencer-friendly long lunch hotspot. Loading But in true Sydney fashion, Stewart had been made to wait outside for a table. The height of disrespect, in our book. Martha Stewart walked so Totti's, and its famous bread, could run. That said, Stewart did wax lyrical about said bread and the bottarga. And no other Sydney establishments got a shoutout on stage – the kind of good PR not even Hemmes' billions could buy.
Daily Mail
29-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Brooke Bellamy reveals she's been inundated with support as she opens two new bakeries amid plagiarism row: 'Everyone in Queensland is rallying behind me'
Brooke Bellamy has shared how her community rallied around her as she faced a plagiarism row. The embattled baker, who was accused of plagiarising her recipes, is opening two new bakeries on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane 's Mt Gravatt. She thanked Queenslanders for having her back as she pushes forward with her career despite the controversy, revealing that she has been inundated with messages of support. 'Everyone in Queensland, especially, and Tasmania (where I grew up) is really rallying behind me and saying, "We just want you to keep going"' the cookbook author told the Courier Mail on Thursday. 'I have worked really, really hard to build this brand and I'm not going to stop doing that and I have a responsibility to the 30 team members that I employ to show up every day and keep going'. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Bellamy revealed her plans for expansion on Sunday while celebrating the three year anniversary of running Brooki Bakehouse. She has also revealed she is expecting her second child. 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,' 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.
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.
