Cornish Chef Takes On Publishing Giant Over ‘Sabzi’ Trademark

Legal Action Over Cookbook Name

Cornish chef and business owner Kate Attlee has begun legal proceedings against publishing house Bloomsbury, after the company refused requests to change the name of one of its recently released cookbooks.

The title, authored by Yasmin Khan, uses the word Sabzi—a trademark registered and owned by Kate’s independent Cornish brand, Sabzi, which she founded in 2019.

From Truro Deli to Four Locations Across Cornwall

Kate, 37, launched her first Sabzi deli in Truro at 16a Walsingham Place, TR1 2RP, shortly after reaching the quarter finals of BBC’s MasterChef. The brand has since grown to four Cornwall-based delis:

• Truro – 16a Walsingham Place, Truro TR1 2RP

• Falmouth – 16 Arwenack Street, Falmouth TR11 3JA

• Padstow – 18 Duke Street, Padstow PL28 8AB

• Nansledan (near Newquay) – Unit 1, Street Myghtern Arthur, Nansledan, TR8 4UX

Sabzi also runs a website and online store under the same name, along with a range of fourteen branded products.

Since 2023, Sabzi has been sharing recipes for free with its 5,000 newsletter subscribers and followers on its website and social media. Kate had also planned to release a cookbook under the Sabzi name before the Bloomsbury title was published.

“Dismayed” at Bloomsbury’s Refusal

Kate said, “I invested in trademarking Sabzi, as I felt it was important to protect my brand at the beginning of its journey. For the last six years, I have invested all my time, energy and passion into building a hospitality business that offers secure year-round employment, providing our customers with a sustainable, delicious and affordable dining option on the high street. We receive countless weekly requests for a Sabzi cookbook, and this has been an exciting upcoming plan for the business.

“I am so dismayed that a brand as big and powerful as Bloomsbury has not respected my legal rights, and has taken the opportunity to publish a book using the name ‘Sabzi’, even going so far as to use similar stylisation.

“I have always enjoyed reading Yasmin Khan’s recipes and of course trust that this wasn’t done deliberately, however there is no doubt that publishing using the Sabzi trademark undermines the many years of hard work by myself and my team in establishing our Sabzi brand.”

Trademark Registered for Books and Retail

Both the word mark “Sabzi” and its figurative mark are registered under classes that include cookery books, writing materials, recipe books, and online and retail services connected with books. The figurative mark also bears similarities in line thickness and font style to the published title.

Bringing a Taste of the Middle East to Cornwall

Born and raised in Cornwall with an Iranian father and British mother, Kate draws inspiration from her Iranian heritage for Sabzi’s menus. Her delis are known for using humble, local ingredients to create aromatic, sun-soaked dishes that reflect the flavours of her father’s homeland.