London, October 2025: Publishing giant, Bloomsbury has refused requests from the founder of deli collection, Sabzi, to change the name of one of their recently published cookery titles, which has used the deli’s brand. The publisher has released a book using the trademark, owned by the independent Cornish brand, which was founded in 2019.Kate Attlee (37), mother of two, and founder and owner of Sabzi, launched her first deli in Truro, Cornwall in 2019, shortly after reaching the quarter finals of BBC’s MasterChef. The collection now extends to four Cornwall-based delis, a website with an online store under the name Sabzi, and a range of fourteen products under the Sabzi name. Sabzi has been publishing its recipes for free toits 5,000 newsletter subscribers and on its website and social media since 2023, and Sabzi owner Attlee was planning to publish an eponymous book collating and building on this collection.
Attlee deems the recent publication of author Yasmin Khan’s book of the same name, an infringement of her intellectual property rights, and is taking legal action.
Both the word mark “Sabzi” and its corresponding figurative mark, are registered in classes that cover books: cookery books; writing materials; and recipe books, as well as online retail and retail services in connection with books. The figurative mark also bears similarity including the line thickness and stylisation of the font.
Kate Attlee 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.”
The deli collection, which brings a taste of the Middle East to Cornwall, was founded by chef owner Kate Attlee in 2019. Born and raised in Cornwall, with an Iranian father and British mother, Attlee’s Iranian heritage heavily influences the daily-changing menus at Sabzi’s four delis, and leads to humble, local ingredients being transformed into aromatic, fragrant, sun-soaked reminders of her father’s homeland.
Press Contact
For further information about Kate Attlee and Sabzi please contact:
Charlotte Allen - [email protected] / Diana Massey - [email protected]
NOTES TO EDITORS
Website: https://www.sabzideli.co.uk | Instagram @sabzideli | email: [email protected]
Truro - 16a Walsingham Place, Truro TR1 2RP
Falmouth - 16 Arwenack Street, Falmouth TR11 3JA
Padstow - 18 Duke Street, Padstow PL28 8AB
Nansledan - Unit 1, Street Myghtern Arthur, Nansledan, near Newquay TR8 4UX
All sites open year round, seven days a week.
Kate Attlee is the founder and owner of Sabzi. Kate was born and raised in Cornwall. With an Iranian father and British mother, she has been surrounded by international flavours and naturally brings this variety and originality to her cooking. After a number of years in London where Kate gained valuable training and experience in the hospitality industry at Michelin star level, she returned to Cornwall to marry and raise her family.
In 2015 Kate hosted a number of sell-out supper club events from her home in Truro, showcasing Iranian food to Cornish audiences in an intimate and informal setting. 2018 saw Kate apply and be accepted from over 3000 applicants, to appear on, and to reach the quarter finals of BBC1’s Master Chef. The experience confirmed for Kate her enduring passion for the food industry and enjoyment of cooking and serving her food to others with love, great flavour and flair. After many sell-out events across the South West, in 2019, Kate opened Sabzi in Truro, followed by Sabzi in Falmouth in summer 2022, and sites in Padstow and Nansledan in summer and autumn 2023, respectively.
