Chef Gbolabo Adebakin, popularly known as Captain Gibbs, has revealed the extensive behind-the-scenes planning that helped Nigerian chef Hilda Baci achieve the Guinness World Record for the longest individual cooking marathon.
Adebakin, convener of The Nigeria Food Summit, disclosed that while Hilda Baci’s record-breaking cook-a-thon lasted about four days, the support team spent nearly a week preparing for the feat.
Speaking in an interview with NairametricsTV titled The Chef Who Wants to Standardise Nigeria’s Food Industry, published last Wednesday and widely circulated on Thursday, Adebakin described the operation as a massive logistical undertaking involving menu planning, ingredient sourcing, staff coordination and strict adherence to Guinness World Records guidelines.
“The first one, for example, a lot of us didn’t sleep. And I know, you know, on the Guinness World Record, it was, I think it was four days, because that’s like a hundred and something hours. It was one week for us, for the people behind the scenes.
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“It was one week because we have to prep before the cooking starts,” he said.
According to Adebakin, the scale of preparation far exceeded that of a typical catering event because the team had to provide thousands of meals throughout the marathon while meeting the competition’s requirements.
“If you are doing like an event for maybe a hundred people, you can do your prep in a day. We’re doing an event for four days. Now imagine how much prep we need for that,” he added.
He recalled booking a hotel close to the venue with the intention of getting some rest, but abandoned the plan after the first day because of the demands of the assignment.
“I thought that I was going to be able to sleep. So I got like a hotel close by. But the first day that I went to go and change, maybe just refresh and stuff. Secondly, I surrendered. I stayed there throughout the entire thing, and it was worth it. No regrets,” he said.
He noted that the team’s second Guinness World Record project was even more demanding, requiring separate large-scale operations for food preparation and distribution.
“For the second one, for example, that one was even crazier. We had like two big makis, one for the prep and another for the distribution of food,” he said.
Adebakin explained that preparations began with developing a menu that complied with Guinness World Records regulations while showcasing Nigerian cuisine, a priority for Hilda Baci.
“We designed the menu. We knew she was very particular about a lot of things. Hilda doesn’t play. So one of the first things that she mentioned was that she wanted it to be Nigerian food,” he said.
The team then identified meals that could be prepared within the competition’s time limits, with every cooking process carefully scheduled.
“We were saying, what kind of meals can you cook for two minutes, for five minutes, for 20 minutes, because you’re going to stop at 20 minutes mark,” Adebakin explained.
He said the planning also covered recipe development, ingredient procurement, preparation schedules and storage considerations, taking into account the shelf life of food items and the venue’s limitations.
Beyond food preparation, the team developed staff schedules and welfare plans to ensure smooth operations and safety throughout the marathon.
“We’re also ensuring that no one is going to die on our watch. So we’re designing the timetable for the staff as well, the welfare for the staff as well,” he said.
Adebakin added that farmers, vendors and market suppliers were placed on standby throughout the event to guarantee a steady supply of fresh ingredients.
“Everybody was on point, right? They were standing by ready to supply us when we needed to supply the right products, the freshest of ingredients,” he said.
Hilda Baci set the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual in May 2023 after cooking continuously for 93 hours and 11 minutes in Lagos, surpassing the previous record. Her achievement drew global attention and boosted international interest in Nigerian cuisine.
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