Hilda Effiong Bassey, also known as Hilda Baci, is a prominent Nigerian chef, TV producer, foodpreneur, and YouTube host. She hails from Akwa Ibom State in the southeastern part of Nigeria.
Hilda has made a name for herself in the culinary industry since embarking on her career as a chef in 2020. She holds a degree in Sociology from Madonna University in Okija and currently serves as the CEO and head chef of @Myfoodbyhilda, a restaurant chain with locations throughout Nigeria. Her brand has become well-established, thanks to her hard work and dedication.
Hilda Effiong Bassey Wikipedia
Name Effiong Hilda Bassey
Date Of Birth September 20, 1996
Age 27 Years Old
Popularly known As Chef Hilda Baci
State Of Origin Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
Occupation Food Chef
Marital Status Unknown
Instagram @Hilda Bacci
Net Worth $320,000
Born on September 20, 1996, in Akwa Ibom State, Hilda Baci is a versatile Nigerian chef, TV producer, host, and entrepreneur who started from humble beginnings and rose to success.
Where Is Hilda Effiong Bassey From?
Hilda Bassey Effiong, the celebrated chef, hails from the beautiful state of Akwa Ibom in Nigeria, and she takes pride in her roots.
Hilda Effiong Bassey Education
Hilda Bassey Effiong pursued her undergraduate degree in Sociology at Madonna University Okija, a prestigious state university located in Enugu State, Nigeria.
Hilda Effiong Bassey Husband
Hilda Bassey Effiong’s partner or spouse is unknown at this time. However, she has shared intimate and romantic moments with her significant other in some of her Instagram videos.
Despite facing significant obstacles before establishing her company, @myfoodbyhilda, Hilda remains dedicated to achieving her goals through hard work and perseverance. She is currently in a committed relationship.
Hilda Effiong Bassey’s Net Worth
Hilda Bassey reportedly has an estimated net worth of $250,000. Her cooking business and YouTube channel have largely contributed to this. Additionally, she shares her cooking programs on a variety of television channels.
Hilda Effiong Bassey Guinness World Record
Hilda Bassey is striving to break the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking period. The 27-year-old Nigerian chef has planned a four-day “cook-a-thon” at Amore Gardens in Lekki, Lagos State, as part of her endeavour. Her objective is to cook multiple dishes continuously for an extended period and gain recognition from the Guinness World Records.
The current record holder for the world’s longest cooking marathon is Lata Tondon, who achieved a time of 87 hours, 45 minutes, and 00 seconds in Rewa, India, in 2019.
Should Hilda succeed in breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking period, it would be a significant accomplishment not just for her but also for the Nigerian food industry. This triumph would showcase the skill and commitment of Nigerian chefs and help to promote the country as a centre of culinary excellence.
Hilda Effiong Bassey Social Media Handles
Hilda Bassey’s Instagram account can be accessed through the original link provided. She earned the verification badge on the social media platform during her attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking period with a four-day “cook-a-thon” in Lagos State.
Instagram: @hilda Bassey
Hilda Baci Interview With thenationonlineng.net
HILDA BACI: Moving to Lagos was my turning
Hilda Effiong Bassey known as Hilda Baci is the founder of ‘My Food by Hilda”, actress, TV presenter, and talk show host. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she talks about her homemade recipes, inspiration from her mother’s culinary techniques, the turning point in her life, and embarking on a cooking marathon.
YOU are embarking on a 4-day cooking Marathon to break the world’s longest cooking record. What inspired the idea?
I used to be obsessed with watching the Guinness Book of Records on TV and YouTube. At some point, I have been crazy about cooking. About 5 years ago, I said to my brother then that I had not seen anyone doing the longest cooking marathon. It was always the biggest pizza, the largest this and that. So, I imagined if someone cooked for a long time and my brother said that it was a really good idea, people would enjoy it. I now inquired about it to know if a record like that was existing.
So, what are you looking at?
The attempt is supposed to begin on the 28th and we would round up on the 1st.
How did your mum influence your performance in the sector?
She was good with people and customer service. I watched her build her business. I remember when she started, there were so many vendors in the space that she started with and as the years went by, she became the only one there in Area 10, Abuja. She did that and she trained us with that. So, I realized that there is money in the business but you just have to be serious about it.
It is a very competitive and tough sector. How do you cope?
I guess I have a passion for it. I enjoyed it. When you are doing what you love, it doesn’t feel like work. It is also supposed to fund my lifestyle. I have responsibilities and I mean every other thing that I have to do. This is basically like my handwork, so I have to take it seriously.
There are recipes everywhere. What makes yours different?
My tagline is made with love. It sounds very mundane but the truth is what I have at the back of my mind when I am making anything. I have some of these recipes which I learned from my mum and then I improved on them.
Talking about love, are your targets young people?
It’s for everybody.
During COVID-19, you supported the less privileged communities with about 3000 meals. What inspired you to do this?
Then, I noticed that there was a lack around my area. So, I used to take walks around Elegushi Beach every Saturday morning. I saw that the guy there would help other people. It was their source of livelihood. But since COVID nothing was happening. So, every time I was passing, they would say mama please help us. They had kids as well as pregnant wives or girlfriends. I also noticed that those reaching out were going to the streets, and motherless homes, and nobody remembered them. So, I just decided to take it there. I did it every Saturday for the entire period of the lockdown. I used to take 150 meals there every Saturday. I always wore my face masks. It was rice, easy meals, Jollof, and fried rice. I alternated between both drinks and water. I had COVID at a point. It was towards the end of the lockdown and my body fought it. I had a few malaria symptoms for one day. It didn’t knock me down and I was still very active. I ate a lot of pepper soups that was it.
Let’s talk about life as a presenter and TV show host.
I can’t even remember the year but my friend sent me this post about Linda Ikeji TV, they were looking for a presenter. So, I just tried. I made an audition video and the video was good at the time. Then I wanted to be an actress, be on the screen, and wanted everyone to know me. From there, I started auditioning for multiple presenting roles.
Was it easy or challenging doing this?
What would you describe as the turning point for you?
I can’t say that I have one particular turning point. Different things! Moving to Lagos was a turning point for me. If I didn’t come to Lagos, I wouldn’t be here. The challenges I faced pretty much got me to this point. I did a 9 to 5 and worked two jobs at a point. I was working as a cook. When I quit that job, I got the opportunity to have my show on DSTV. It was called Dine on a Budget and it was on Pop Central TV channel. I used to host celebrities. I had a mixologist, just like dinner with friends. We got to discuss different topics while I was cooking. So, they would have an appetizer, main course, dessert, and cocktail. It was just like a really fun roundtable conversation while I was also trying to teach people how to cook. I was also entertaining them with their favourite celebrities. For me, doing that allowed me to combine all my interests, my ability to present, my ability to cook, and my desire to teach. And I like looking good, that way I married everything to one show.
Was there a particular fallout doing this?
It taught me to be more assertive. Getting the celebrities, I had to send them DMs. Some people would respond positively, some didn’t and till today, some people are just seeing my DM this year and this was like two years ago. I just knew that if you want something nobody is going to hand it over to you. You have to make an effort and get it yourself and achieve what you want.
At what point did you get into acting?
I think that in between all that, I was still going for acting auditions. I did a role, not necessarily a Waka pass in this movie called side waves. It was directed by T. Sinachi. It featured Nancy Isime in 2018, then my very last acting role was playing a supporting lead in Dream Chaser. A movie by Multichoice talent factory. Acting is just a few years; I don’t take it seriously because my bottom line now is that I have to make money. If I am doing something that I love it has to serve me and pay my bills. Right now, acting is not doing that. I need to invest in my business.
How has the recent cash scarcity affected your business?
Oh yes, it has. We tried initially and it became a bit more difficult as time went on. There were days when we couldn’t buy petty things in the market because these women don’t take transfers. I remember calling my account officer to beg for twenty thousand naira.
Do you have young people that you mentor?
I won’t say I mentor young people but I teach. It is not restricted to young people but anyone interested. I teach people how to cook. I share my recipes because I want recipes to propagate what I stand for. I want them to become authentic staple recipes. That is why I am very open to sharing them with as many people as possible. I notice that there is a lapse. The food industry, in terms of fast food and outdoor catering. We are not respected as we should be.
We should make as much money as we deserve to make based on the amount of work that we put in. I think that most times, we don’t understand the business side of it. So, you can have someone doing the same thing, sustainably but not profitably. So, you are doing the same thing but you are not able to scale up because you are not charging properly. You are not pricing properly. So, I just got to understand that a lot of people are struggling with that based on my interactions with customers, intending customers, and other food vendors as well. And because I like to share, I felt that this is something people need to learn and take their business more seriously. It can be very deceptive when you have an inflow, a lot of things coming in but then you are not exactly making money just because you have a lot of money coming in. So, you need to be very intentional about every single thing.
Could this be because there are so many people in the sector?
Not necessarily. I feel that if you have a niche for yourself like your service is good, you still have your client base. I would say people don’t have the desire to eat the same thing 365 days a year. As human beings, we are not static to be eating the same things. What you try to achieve is that you are top of mind. So, sometimes people are craving your food which is why you need to be original. So, I don’t think it is because the market is over-saturated.
Are your cooks male or female?
It’s a mix. I have about 8 cooks right now. 5 men and 3 women, both men and women are pulling their weight. Then the narrative was that cooking was only for women, when a man chooses to do it, it is done with precision. Now, more women are getting into it professionally.
What does the theme for the 2023 International Women’s Day?
I will like to relate this to the policies in the sector. You find that people don’t want to employ women as professional chefs. They think men would do it better. I think we need to be more intentional, this can be a craft that should be taken seriously. We need to have more people in culinary schools.
