Hilda Bassey Effiong, the 27-year-old Nigerian Chef and owner of MyFoodByHilda Restaurant, has made history by breaking the world cooking record. Her non-stop cooking marathon lasted for an impressive 100 hours, 40 minutes, surpassing the previous Guinness World Record set by Indian chef Lata Tandon in 2019. Hilda’s remarkable achievement has not only captured the attention of Nigerians but also garnered global recognition.
Hilda’s incredible feat is took place at Amore Garden in Lekki, Lagos, where guests are welcome to join in on various side attractions and cheer her on. Hailing from Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, Hilda’s marathon cooking session (cookathon) spanned over four days without any breaks.
To attain this coveted world-class record, Hilda must comply with several conditions, some of which include standing throughout the four-day cooking period, consuming only food, water, fruit juice, and glucose, and not being allowed to take any stimulants or energy drinks to artificially enhance her energy levels or physical strength. Furthermore, Hilda must cook around the clock without any sleep for four nights and is only permitted a mere five-minute break per hour.
Specifically, the rules of the Game were:
The following are the conditions Hilda must fulfill to break the world record:
- Stand to cook, no sitting allowed
- No coffee, stimulants, or energy drinks to artificially boost her energy
- Allowed to eat food, drink water or fruit juice, and take glucose
- Cook round the clock without sleep
- Only five minutes of rest per hour, one hour of rest in every twelve hours of cooking
- Cook any meal of her choice, without any restrictions
- All the food is shared for free with guests at the event, and every meal cooked and every plate served is recorded.
Despite these grueling conditions, Hilda is allowed to eat food, drink water or fruit juice, and take glucose. She is also permitted to cook any meal of her choice, without any restrictions. While cooking non-stop for four days, every meal cooked, and every plate served is recorded, and all the food is shared for free with guests at the event. Hilda’s determination to break the world record under these conditions is awe-inspiring, and her achievement will serve as an inspiration to many who aspire to attain similar feats.
It’s worth noting that most of the food items, ingredients, utensils, and other materials used in this project are supplied by Hilda’s sponsors. Therefore, the funds spent on this project are not entirely Hilda’s or her food brand’s. Furthermore, Uber, one of her partners, is offering a 40% discount on rides to the venue for those who want to attend and support Hilda. Lastly, Hilda’s mother, who owns a food brand called “Calabar Pot,” is also a chef, and this could be the reason why Hilda was inspired to pursue a career in the culinary arts.
This amazing accomplishment serves as a reminder that with determination and perseverance, anything is possible.
