Hilda Baci: I Almost Gave Up On Setting New World Record

Nigerian chef, Hilda Effiong Bassey, popularly known as Hilda Baci has revealed that she almost gave up in the first six hours into her Cook-a-thon project after setting a new Guinness World Record.

The 27-year-old chef said this in an interview with CNN after achieving the fit for the longest cooking by an individual.

According to Baci, she nearly gave up on the first day. She had intended to cook for 96 hours to break Lata Tandon’s 2019 record of 87 hours and 45 minutes but as the 96th hour approached, she decided to extend her attempt to 100 hours breaking the record by over 13 hours.

“The first day was the most difficult. I was ready to give up 6 hours in. I feel like a miracle happened and somehow, I got to this. The support has been incredible,” she said.

Baci surpassed the previous record with 13 hours during her cook-a-thon project in Lagos State which she started on May 11 and completed on 15th of May 2023.

Speaking about her motivation for embarking on the project, she noted that she wanted to put Nigerian food on the map.

“Nigerian cuisine is the best out there,” she said. “The more recipes are propagated the more people will be willing to try it. Nigerian food is such comfort food,” she added.

While appreciating the love and support, she said, ” I am so amazed at the outpouring of love from Nigerians towards achieving this record. The first six hours were the toughest for me, I had to pray to God for strength.

“I appreciate everyone who took time out to support and encourage me by visiting the venue to cheer me on or driving the conversation on social platforms.

“Your unwavering passion to see me succeed through this attempt is heartfelt. I am grateful to my family, the various teams that worked with me on this project, and fans from all over the world who kept the passion going.’’