Hilda Bacci, a 27-year-old Nigerian chef from Akwa Ibom State, has set a new Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon. The #hildabacimarathon began on May 11, 2023, and ended on May 15, 2023, after Hilda cooked for an impressive 93 hours and 11 minutes, surpassing the previous record of 87 hours and 45 minutes set in 2019 by Indian chef Lata Tandon. Hilda cooked over 100 dishes during the marathon, which required her to cook at least two items at any time, with the name, weight, and number of each dish submitted to Guinness World Records for review.
Hilda Bacci, who founded a catering business called “My Food by Hilda” and is a TV host, started her chef career in 2020 and quickly gained fame for her unique recipes that incorporate traditional Nigerian ingredients with modern culinary skills. She won several awards before attempting the world record, which required an immense amount of dedication, hard work, and preparation. Although Hilda aimed to set a record of 100 hours, she lost almost seven hours due to a mistake in one of her rest breaks early on in the marathon. Nonetheless, her achievement is a testament to her commitment to her craft and will inspire aspiring chefs worldwide to push themselves to new heights and achieve their goals.