Local Man Attempts to Trademark His Vegemite Spag Bol to Avoid “Recipe Theft”

Sandy Shores | Editor in Chief | Sutherland Shire Gazette

1 May 2025

SYLVANIA - Fearing a "recipe theft scandal of Nagi-level proportions," local man Darryl Fenton has filed an urgent application to trademark his signature spaghetti bolognese - a bold concoction featuring a controversial teaspoon of Vegemite “for richness and complexity”.

The 52-year-old hobby chef said he was spurred into action after reading about the public dust-up between RecipeTin Eats founder Nagi Maehashi and Brisbane’s Brooki Bakehouse. The saga, which saw Maehashi accused of copying a viral cookie recipe before fiercely defending her reputation and technique, has sent shockwaves through Australia’s home-cook community - and Darryl.

“I saw that headline and thought: not on my watch,” said Fenton, stabbing a wooden spoon toward an imaginary food blogger. “Today it’s a cookie. Tomorrow, it’s my Vegemite-infused spag bol. I'm pre-emptively protecting my legacy” he told the Gazette, stirring a pot of rich brown sauce while wearing a ‘Kiss the Cook’ apron.

He claims the recipe - “Spag Bol à la Daz” - was lovingly developed over 14 winters and at least one failed engagement. “It’s got your onions, your garlic, your tin of crushed tomatoes, and then the kicker - one teaspoon of Vegemite, stirred in at the emotional climax of the simmer.”

“It’s subtle. Umami. Australian. Like me.”

Legal experts say it’s unclear whether you can trademark a recipe that appears on half the nation’s fridges already, but Fenton is undeterred. “I’m not out here chasing millions - just respect. And maybe a segment on Sunrise.”

In response to online claims that others have long used similar "Aussie hacks," Fenton simply narrowed his eyes and whispered: “See you in the Supreme [Court], mate.”

Meanwhile, inspired by the ongoing Nagi-Brooki drama, several Shire residents have begun pre-emptively trademarking everything from condensed milk truffles to one-pot apricot chicken.