Chef Gbolabo Adebakin, popularly known as Captain Gibbs, has opened up about the intense planning and behind-the-scenes work that helped Nigerian chef Hilda Baci secure the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon.
Adebakin, Convener of The Nigeria Food Summit, disclosed that while the record attempt lasted about four days, the team spent an entire week preparing for the challenge.
He made the revelation during an interview with NairametricsTV titled “The Chef Who Wants to Standardise Nigeria’s Food Industry,” published last Wednesday and widely circulated on Thursday.
According to him, preparations included menu design, ingredient sourcing, logistics, staff welfare and ensuring every aspect complied with 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.
“It was one week because we have to prep before the cooking starts,” Adebakin said.
He explained that the scale of the operation required meticulous planning, as the team had to prepare thousands of meals while meeting the strict requirements of the record attempt.
“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.
Adebakin revealed that although he had booked a nearby hotel to get some rest during the marathon, he quickly realised the demands of the assignment made that impossible.
“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.
Reflecting on a second Guinness World Record attempt, Adebakin said it was even more challenging because of the large-scale preparation and food distribution involved.
“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.
He explained that planning began with creating a menu that met Guinness World Records regulations while staying true to Hilda Baci’s vision of showcasing Nigerian cuisine.
“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 dishes that could be prepared within the competition’s strict cooking timelines, carefully scheduling every stage of the process.
“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,” he said.
According to Adebakin, detailed timetables, recipes and procurement plans were developed while taking into account ingredient shelf life and storage limitations at the venue.
“After you put in a timetable, they’re now doing recipes for each. After you do recipes for each, you’re doing the prep for each, you’re doing procurement for each,” he explained.
Beyond food preparation, the team also prioritised staff scheduling, welfare 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,” Adebakin said.
He added that vendors, farmers and market suppliers worked closely with the team to ensure a constant 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 made history in May 2023 after cooking continuously for 93 hours and 11 minutes in Lagos, setting the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual. The feat drew global attention and shone a spotlight on Nigerian cuisine and the country’s food industry.
