Nigerian celebrity chef and restaurateur, Hilda Effiong Bassey, popularly known as Hilda Baci, has opened up about a tense incident that nearly derailed her latest Guinness World Record feat.
At the World Jollof Festival in Lagos on September 12, 2025, Hilda and her team set out to prepare almost 8,780 kilograms of jollof rice in a specially built six-metre-wide pot with a 23,000-litre capacity. Thousands of spectators turned up to witness the remarkable attempt.
Trouble struck, however, when a crane was lifting the massive pot for weighing. One side gave way, causing the supporting legs to collapse. Although the rice remained safe, the sudden mishap left Hilda and her team visibly shaken.
Recalling the tense moment in an interview with HipTV, she said:
“When we had the mishap with the pot, my first few seconds, my heart was in my hands. I was very scared, very worried.”
A hidden blessing
Despite the setback, Hilda explained that her main concern was not the record itself but ensuring that people could enjoy the food. She described the pot’s collapse as “a blessing in disguise,” since it actually made distribution easier for the massive crowd.
She and her team promptly submitted video and photo evidence of the weighing to Guinness World Records, which later validated her as the new record holder for the largest pot of jollof rice ever cooked at once.
Grace, resilience, and transparency
Hilda revealed that she worked closely with the adjudicator to maintain transparency throughout the process, ensuring proper camera angles and documentation were in place.
This win makes Hilda a two-time Guinness World Record holder. In May 2023, she first gained global recognition after cooking non-stop for 93 hours and 11 minutes, setting the record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual.
Reflecting on her journey, she described her achievements as nothing short of divine favor:
“It’s just a testament that God is good and I’m a child of grace. When I tell you grace is here and you doubt me, look at my track record. Trust the Lord.”