After a thorough and rigorous process of reviewing all the evidence presented by Hilda Baci and her team, the much-awaited results have been released.
The Guinness World Records (GWR) has declared Hilda Effiong Bassey, popularly known as Hilda Baci as the official record breaker for the longest cooking marathon (individual) with a time of 93 hours 11 minutes.
The 26-year-old chef’s “cook-a-thon” began on Thursday 11th May at Amore Garden, Lekki, Lagos, and continued through Monday 15th May, cooking over 100 pots of food during her four-day kitchen stint.
She attempted to set a record of 100 hours, although close to seven hours were deducted from her final total due to some extra minutes she mistakenly took for one of her rest breaks early on in the attempt. This is according to the statement by the Guinness World Records.
As with all ‘Longest Marathon Records’, the individual is allowed a five-minute rest break for every continuous hour of activity. However, these rest breaks can be accumulated if not taken. These were the only times Hilda could use the bathroom or sleep during the attempt.
In 2019, the previous record of 87 hours 45 minutes was set by Lata Tondon in India. According to the statement, Hilda attempted this record to “put Nigerian cuisine on the map” and “inspire young African women to chase their dreams”.
“I also decided to break this record to truly push my limits and test my abilities”, Hilda said according to the Guinness World Records statement. She prepared for the event by creating a 35-item menu “as a guide” for every meal that she would cook.
There were certain rules that Hilda was required to abide by, which included – there needed to be at least two items being prepared or cooked at any time, a sous-chef is permitted to assist in prep work, washing up, and cleaning the kitchen area, but all the cooking must be done by the individual attempting the record. Most importantly, all items must be consumed after cooking.
According to the report, after inviting all Nigerian public members to come and eat, all leftover food was donated to the Festus Fajemilo Foundation
Hilda’s cook-a-thon was so viral that the GWR’s website crashed for two days due to the immense volume of traffic that was received from her loyal fans. Dignitaries such as the former Vice president of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, governor of Lagos, and other prominent people came to support Hilda during her record attempt.
Congratulations to Hilda Baci on this great feat.