The beautiful Nigerian chef with an unforgettable smile. Celebrity chef, actress and restauranteur, Hilda Baci, went the extra mile to break a marathon cooking Guiness World Record (GWR) in May 2023.
Hilda Baci broke the longest marathon cooking (or Cook-a-thon) record at that time in 93 hours and 11 minutes, between May 11 and 15, 2023. That record has now been surpassed by an Irish chef, Alan Fisher.
Hilda Baci attracted global attention to herself and Nigeria when she beat the cook-a-thon world record of India’s Lata Tondon. The celebrity chef reportedly cooked over 100 pots of food. Lata Tondon’s previous record lasted for 87 hours and 45 minutes (which was set in 2019).
Hilda Baci’s Background
Born in September 1996, Hilda Effiong Bassey (known also as Hilda Baci) hails from Nsit Ubium LGA of Akwa Ibom State. She is a graduate of Sociology from Madonna University, Anambra State. She took after her mother as a career chef.
The GWR is definitely not the first of Hilda Baci’s notable achievements. Hilda won the Jollof Faceoff Competition in August 2021. Nor is Hilda new on popular media. She was the host of a television cooking show titled ‘Dine on a Budget’, which is broadcasted on Pop Central TV. In addition, Hilda Baci is an actress. She has acted in movie roles on the sets of ‘Dreamchaser’ (2020), ‘A Walk on Water’ (2021), and ‘Mr. and Mrs. Robert’ (2023).
Why Hilda Baci Embarked on Setting a GWR Cook-a-Thon
In a later interview, Hilda Baci revealed that her attempt to break a GWR cook-a-thon record was for two reasons. She wanted to ‘put Nigerian cuisine on the world map’, and to ‘inspire young African women to chase their dreams’, in her own words. She further stated that the feat made her to push her own limits and test her abilities.
Some other Nigerians attempted to overturn Hilda’s record within a space of few weeks, though they could not succeed. One such case was that of Chef Dami from Ekiti state in southeast Nigeria.
It was also revealed that Hilda Baci’s winning tweet sent by GWR on X (formerly Twitter) was their best-performing tweet at the time. Sent on June 15, 2023, the tweet reached almost 25 million news feeds.
Some critics also questioned the November 7, 2023 GWR tweet confirming Alan Fisher’s record. Apparently there were claims that at least a year’s interval between the last record and the next one was meant to be obeyed by contestants. However, the GWR committee responded that the claim is just a rumour. And that records can be broken at anytime.
Hilda Baci wasted no time to congratulate Alan Fisher on her X handle. The Nigerian celebrity chef stated that she remains grateful for all the love and support she got for her achievement. Additionally, Hilda Baci’s feat is seen by many Africans as a big source of inspiration. With that achievement, Hilda Baci’s name would remain in the history books of GWR and world achievements.
The Gains of Setting a Guinness World Record
Yet again was the question of what gains came from winning a Guinness World Record. The GWR website states clearly that there is no monetary reward for such an achievement. However, GWR “offers the prestige of being a record holder, a certificate of achievement, and the potential for global recognition,” in their own words.
Yet again, having a GWR certificate of recognition will bring great public exposure and fame to the holder. This can easily be turned into a commercial benefit on social media and the internet. Holders are very likely to receive great business and professional promotion. They can also become paid social media influencers and brand ambassadors, which can bring huge earnings to them.
Hilda Baci’s Net Worth
Hilda Baci’s net worth as of 2023 is estimated to be at least 500,000 US Dollars. The celebrity chef also has a fleet of luxury cars, which include a Range Rover Sport, and a Mercedes Benz G63.
Furthermore, Hilda Baci recently signed an endorsement deal in 2023 with Aspira Nigeria and the Viva brand. She became a brand ambassador for their dishwashing detergent.
Current State of the GWR Cook-a-Thon Event
In August 2023, Irish chef Alan Fisher broke the latest marathon cooking world record with a time of 119 hours and 57 minutes. This occurred about six months after Baci’s feat; and it exceeded Hilda Baci’s record by more than 24 hours.
Simultaneously, Fisher broke the longest individual world baking marathon with a time of 47 hours and 21 minutes. The world baking marathon record was previously held by Wendy Sandner of USA, with a time of 31 hours and 16 minutes. Alan Fisher is a chef and restaurant owner in Japan.
