Nigerian celebrity chef and restaurateur Hilda Bassey, popularly known as Hilda Baci, has opened up about a frightening moment during her successful attempt to break the Guinness World Record for cooking the largest pot of jollof rice.
In a video interview posted by HipTV on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Hilda recalled the shock she felt when the custom-made pot — used for the record-breaking feat — unexpectedly collapsed.
“When we had the mishap with the pot, my first few seconds — my heart was in my hands. I was very scared, very worried,” she said.
Despite the dramatic incident, Hilda emphasized that her main concern wasn’t the record but ensuring that people got to enjoy the food.
“For me, the record was not the most important thing. It was important that people got to taste and enjoy the food we had spent hours making,” she explained.
Surprisingly, she said the pot’s collapse actually worked in their favor.
“I would say it was a good thing that the pot caved because it made food distribution a lot easier… it was a blessing in disguise.”
The incident occurred on September 12 during the World Jollof Festival in Lagos, where Hilda and her team cooked an astonishing 8,780 kilograms (about 19,356 pounds) of jollof rice in a specially constructed pot with a six-metre diameter, designed to hold 23,000 litres of food.
As a crane lifted the massive pot for weighing, one side buckled and the support legs gave way. Thankfully, the rice inside remained intact.
To ensure the integrity of the record attempt, Hilda and her team quickly documented the incident and submitted photo and video evidence to Guinness World Records, which later confirmed her as the official record holder for the largest pot of jollof rice cooked at once.
“I reached out to our adjudicator and let him know that the pot caved… and he said, ‘Let’s just proceed.’ We had to look through various cameras to ensure we had a clear recording. Transparency is very, very important to me,” Hilda added.
Once verified, the team proceeded with distributing the food, staying true to their mission of community engagement.
Reflecting on her achievement, Hilda credited her success to divine grace.
“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,” she said.
This marks another milestone for Hilda, who previously made headlines in May 2023 by setting the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual, clocking an incredible 93 hours and 11 minutes.
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