Elizabeth Haigh cookbook withdrawn from sale amid plagiarism claims

Elizabeth Haigh’s cookbook, Makan: Recipes from the Heart of Singapore, has been withdrawn from sale following accusations of plagiarism.

Food writer Sharon Wee has accused the chef, who won a Michelin star at east London restaurant Pidgin, of lifting "recipes and other content" from her book Growing up in a Nonya Kitchen.

In a statement published to social media Wee said: “My book Growing up in a Nonya Kitchen first published in 2012, is both a cookbook and a memoir in which I recreated my mother’s personalized (sic) recipes, interviewed older relatives, researched my Nonya heritage and recounted my family history.

“I was therefore distressed to discover that certain recipes and other content from my book had been copied or paraphrased without my consent in Makan by Elizabeth Haigh, and I immediately brought this matter to the attention of the book’s publisher Bloomsbury Absolute. I am grateful that Bloomsbury has responded to my concerns by withdrawing Makan from circulation.”

Bloomsbury has confirmed to the Bookseller that Makan, published earlier this year, has been “withdrawn due to rights issues”.

Haigh’s latest venture is Mei Mei in Borough.

The Caterer has reached out to Haigh and Bloomsbury for comment.