The Guinness World Records has certified Nigerian born celebrity chef, Hilda Effiong Bassey, popularly known as Hilda Baci, as the holder of the record for the longest cooking marathon.
The Guinness Records announced this via a tweet on its Twitter account on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. “After reviewing all the footage, we’re delighted to announce that Hilda Baci is the new record holder for the longest cooking marathon (individual),” it tweeted.
The Star recalls that Hilda Baci, who set up a four-day ‘cook-a-thon’ at Amore Gardens in the Lekki area of Lagos State on Thursday, May 11, hit 87 hours 50 minutes to surpass the Guinness World Record on Monday, May 15.
After breaking the record, the 27-year-old restaurateur decided to go a step further by setting a new record of 100 hours. She surpassed Lata Tondon who completed the task in 87 hours, 45 minutes, and 00 secs in Rewa, India, in 2019. She stated that she attempted the record to “put Nigerian cuisine on the map” and “to inspire young African women to chase their dreams”.
“I also decided to break this record to truly push my limits and test my abilities,” the chef added. Hilda prepared for the event by creating a 35-item menu “as a guide” for every meal that she would cook.
She ensured that she had the necessary ingredients to make each recipe, with her team procuring further food items while the cook-a-thon was underway “based on what was needed to be topped up”.
Hilda Baci’s record attempt took social media by storm, with millions of Nigerians and beyond following her progress via an Instagram live stream. “Hilda’s cook-a-thon was in fact so popular that our website crashed for two days due to the immense volume of traffic we received from her legion of loyal fans,” the Guinness World Records added.
Several high-profile Nigerians, including Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and award-winning singer, Tiwa Savage, visited Hilda Baci to support her during her record attempt.