Meredith Hayden, a private chef-turned-influencer, is putting Bon Appétit on blast, claiming the popular food magazine copied her YouTube series. The 29-year-old chef, who built a strong following with her brand Wishbone Kitchen, took to Instagram to express her frustration after Bon Appétit launched a new show that closely mirrors hers—right down to the title. Identical Titles and Suspiciously Similar Branding Earlier this week, Bon Appétit introduced its latest series, “Dinner With Friends,” led by their test kitchen editor, Kendra Vaculin. The show promises to walk viewers through a real-life dinner party each month, complete with hosting tips, a menu, and a step-by-step game plan. Sounds harmless, right? Well, not according to Hayden. In a fiery Instagram post, she pointed out that “Dinner With Friends” is the exact name of her own YouTube series, which she launched in January 2024. While she acknowledged that the phrase itself isn’t groundbreaking, she argued that Bon Appétit should have at least done a simple Google search before choosing the name. More Than Just a Coincidence? Hayden didn’t stop at the title—she also called out Bon Appétit for using branding eerily similar to her own. The magazine’s promotional materials featured a red and pink color scheme, which, according to Hayden, had been her signature aesthetic until just a few weeks ago. “They could have picked literally any other color combination,” she vented, clearly frustrated by the similarities. Adding fuel to the fire, Bon Appétit’s social media post encouraged viewers to “get on the group chat” to coordinate their own dinner gatherings. That wording struck a nerve with Hayden because her newsletter—which shares menus from her show—is called “The Group Chat.” “Are you kidding me? The coincidences are just too many,” she exclaimed. A Personal Grudge Against Bon Appétit? Beyond the branding battle, Hayden revealed another reason for her anger: she had actually tried to work with Bon Appétit in the past but was rejected. Now, seeing them roll out a high-production version of a concept she had built independently felt like a slap in the face. “You rejected me for two years, and I accepted that,” she vented. “But now that I’ve built something of my own, you have to take that too?” She ended her rant with a demand: “If this was an honest mistake, I get it. But I expect a new name and new branding within 24 hours. Thank you, bye.” Fans Rally Behind Hayden Hayden’s supporters wasted no time jumping into the conversation. Flooding Bon Appétit’s social media posts with comments, many called for the magazine to change its branding and accused it of stealing from independent creators. “What in the Wishbone Kitchen is this?? That’s dirty,” one follower wrote. “It’s not too late to delete this! Cool concept, but you need a new name and branding,” another chimed in. Others were even more direct, arguing that Bon Appétit had plenty of time to adjust its plans if it had truly been developing the series for a while. “There’s zero chance that not a single person working on this saw what Meredith has been doing,” one commenter pointed out. “Y’all just thought you could steamroll her because you’re Bon Appétit.” Will Bon Appétit Respond? As of now, Bon Appétit has not made any public statement addressing the controversy. DailyMail.com has reached out to Hayden, Vaculin, and Bon Appétit for comment, but it remains to be seen whether the magazine will acknowledge the backlash or stand by its new series.