Renowned chef and restaurateur Hilda Baci has shared her experience of a dramatic moment during her recent Guinness World Record attempt at the World Jollof Festival in Lagos, describing it as both frightening and a “blessing in disguise.”
On September 12, Baci and her team prepared a massive 8,780-kilogram pot of jollof rice in a custom-built container measuring about six meters in width and height, with a capacity of nearly 23,000 liters.
The record-breaking cook-off was on track until the weighing stage, when the giant pot — suspended by a crane — suddenly collapsed on one side after its supporting legs buckled. Despite the scare, no food was lost, and distribution went ahead smoothly.
Speaking in an interview, Baci admitted she was terrified in that moment but stressed that feeding the waiting crowd mattered more than the record itself. She added that the collapse actually made serving easier, calling it a “blessing in disguise.”
To secure the record, her team ensured that video and photographic documentation of the weighing process was intact, emphasizing the importance of transparency.
Report by: Kendrick Ovie | Edited by: Chris Odjomah