Nigerian chef Hilda Effiong Bassey, popularly known as Hilda Baci, has been officially recognized by Guinness World Records (GWR) as the new record holder for the longest cooking marathon by an individual, setting a new time of 93 hours 11 minutes to beat former world record holder and Indian chef Lata Tondon.
In an official statement and video released on June 13, 2023, GWR announced that they have reviewed the evidence of Hilda Baci’s cooking challenge and reminded the public of the strict rules that applied. The previous record of 87 hours 45 minutes was set by Lata Tondon in 2019. Although Hilda attempted a record of 100 hours, seven hours were deducted because she unknowingly took extra minutes for a rest break early on in the challenge.
According to GWR, the rule for “longest marathon” records allows the participant to observe a five-minute break for every hour of continuous activity. If not taken, the rest breaks can be accumulated. These were the only times Hilda Baci was expected to visit the bathroom or sleep during the attempt.
Hilda was required to abide by the rule of preparing a minimum of two food items at any time. She was also expected to do the entire cooking while her sous-chef assisted with cleaning and prep work in the kitchen area.
An important GWR rule for food-related record attempts is that all food prepared must be consumed. To achieve this, Hilda invited interested Nigerians to the venue of the event where her freshly cooked meals were served. The remaining food was donated to the Festus Fajemilo Foundation.
Hilda noted that each pot of food she cooked could reach 30 – 35 people and measures were put in place to avoid food wastage.
Hilda applied for this record to “put Nigerian cuisine on the map” and “to inspire young African women to chase their dreams”. According to her, “I also decided to break this record to truly push my limits and test my abilities”.
The 26-year-old Nigerian chef began her four-day “cook-a-thon” on Thursday May 11, 2023 and ended on Monday May 15, 2023, preparing over 100 pots of food. Before setting out, she had created a 35-item menu as a guide for the meals she would prepare and made arrangements for the necessary ingredients to make each recipe, with her team getting more food items based on discretion when the attempt was underway.
During the cook-a-thon, Hilda received the support of high-profile Nigerians , including the then Vice President of Nigeria Professor Yemi Osibanjo and Lagos State Governor Babatunde Sanwo-Olu.
A graduate of Sociology from Madonna University, Nigeria, Hilda Baci’s culinary career is inspired by her mother, Lynda Ndukwe, who is also a chef. Her success story includes hosting a television show Dine on a Budget in 2020 and winning the Jollof Face-off Competition in 2021.
Now, she is a certified GWR holder!
Watch the announcement here: