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Bassey: How I earned Nigeria bragging rights in Jollof competition

Hilda Effiong Bassey is the cook whose tasty Jollof rice gave Nigeria its first win against Ghana in the recently Organised cooking contest titled ‘Jollof Faceoff’. Though winning the competition increased Hilda’s bank account by $5,000, the 25-year-old, will readily tell anyone that being a cook is not one of the first things she says about herself when meeting people. In other entertainment spaces such as acting in movies, hosting television shows, Hilda has done well in pushing her career as she has featured in three movies and has her own cooking show on DSTV known as ‘Dine On A Budget’. In this interview with IFEOMA ONONYE, the Sociology graduate from Madonna University speaks about her win and building a business from her cooking talent

 

After a long rivalry between Nigeria and Ghana on who makes better jollof rice, you recently made Nigeria proud by winning the first Jollof Face-off cooking competition that held here in Lagos. Tell us how you heard about the competition and signed up for it.

 

I first saw the post on Instagram about the upcoming jollof cooking competition. The post I saw was specific, saying ‘if you are interested or know any chef that makes bad ass (best finger licking) jollof, tag the person.

 

So I tagged myself and then reposted the post on my story. I asked people to tag me. But before then, I had already got some tags from some of my followers and friends.

 

After that, I forgot about it because I didn’t know that they would pick me. They picked me alongside a couple of other chefs. That was how I was shortlisted for the primaries. They sent us m o n e y to cook and deliver at a particular time. I t w a s from there that I made it to the finals.

 

How long have you been a chef?

 

I won’t call myself a chef. I am a cook because I haven’t gone to a culinary school. I have been cooking since I was 10 years old.

 

One of the best qualities of Akwa Ibom State women is that they are good with food. Tell us what is so special about Akwa Ibom that makes them extremely good when it comes to cooking good food. Akwa Ibom women are naturally trained to nurture. If you go to the fattening room in Akwa Ibom, they teach you how to treat your husband well. They teach you how to cook for him.

 

You know that saying that ‘the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’, in Akwa Ibom, they believe and take this saying seriously.

 

So, they teach the women how to make the best of meals. We pay a lot of attention to the food we make. We pay attention to details and I believe that makes the difference. We don’t just cook; we think about the recipe and plan the meal.

 

For some of your followers to tag you to the contest means they had tasted and trusted your jollof rice. Did you run like a restaurant or a café?

 

I run a food delivery service. It’s called ‘My Food By Hilda’ and I also post tutorials on how to cook on my business page. I also offer online classes as well. A few of my jollof rice videos had gone viral in the food community. So, the tags came from followers, who had ordered from my food business.

 

When it was time for the competition, were you scared?

 

I am not going to lie, I was nervous because I felt there was a lot to prove. There was Nigeria’s pride to uphold; I had a lot of messages and comments.

 

Many people were counting on me. The Ghana man that I was competing against, I went to his page on Instagram to find out who I was up against but his page was private. There was nothing to find out about him and that kind of put me on a nervous trip.

 

I was worried because I didn’t know what I was up against honestly. I was consoled because I was very confident in my recipe and my ability.

 

The Ghana guy challenged Nigeria and Nigeria picked a cook representative among its own people.

 

How did you feel when you were announced as the winner?

 

I was so grateful and relieved. There was a huge wave of relief. In the midst of getting all those attention as the winner, I couldn’t help but think, what if I didn’t win? I would have to just go home in shame, coupled with the many tongue lashing Nigerians would send my way.

 

So, that gave me the relief. I was so grateful that my cooking skills reserved Nigeria’s pride.

 

At some point were your grateful to your mum for teaching you all you know about cooking?

 

I say a big yes to that. Everything good that comes my way, everything that happens to me, I owe it to my    me. She is the most supportive mother ever.

 

My next life, I still want her to be my mum.

What about your dad?

 

My step dad is very supportive.

 

 

Are you are graduate or still in school?

 

Yes, I am a graduate. I studied Sociology in Madonna University.

 

I graduated in 2015. I served in 2016 and then after that, I started working. I started working before I graduated actually. My brother and I started the food business while I was still in school.

 

Then, it was ‘My Food’ and not ‘My Food By Hilda’. I did the business for two years. After that, I got an opportunity to work in the media in Lagos because we were based in Abuja then. I am a Television presenter and a television host. I moved to Lagos. I did that for a while.

 

I also worked in a breakfast company known as Breakfast King. I was managing the lunch division which entailed cooking and running of the day-to-day aspect of the business.

 

I also worked in fashion and retail. I was at the offline store at PayPort for one year.

 

I also had my own cooking show on DSTV channel 189, Pop central TV, called ‘Dine On A Budget’ where I used to host celebrities on a whole dining experience. I had a mixologist that used to make cocktail for them.

 

And then, I cook different kinds of food for them. I did the cooking show for two years before I started my food business fully.

 

The television show is on hold for now because the studio is being renovated. So, basically, I have been here and there in different careers.

 

Aside the $5,000 (N2,500,000) you won, what other advantages came with the winning?

 

There are a lot of advantages. My online cooking classes were to start a week after I won and the registration for the class tripled. I had a lot of people making payments for the class without asking me questions. It has done a lot for me personally, especially for my business brand.

 

I mean, I have bragging rights now. I don’t think people would try to disrespect my food anymore. This win sets like precedent for other things that I wanted to do. It has added to my profile and to my portfolio.

 

I have got a call to be a panelist in a prestigious cooking competition. I have been getting calls to feature in events that have to do with food. The response has been incredible.

 

So, is your next plan to go to a culinary school to get the certification to have the Chef title?

 

I intend to go to one but not now. I don’t really care about the Chef title. Even if I go to the culinary school, I may not care about the chef title. I am not crazy about the title. Having the knowledge and being able to share what I know, having people enjoy the food I make is the best motivation I have.

 

From the way you are speaking, is cooking more of a passion than career for you?

 

Cooking is more of a passion to me. Cooking is something that I love to do. I do it so effortlessly that I don’t feel the stress.

 

There was a time I tried to run away from cooking. I told myself that I am not supposed to have a food business. I said to myself at some point that may be, it would be better to consult for some food brands but some way, somehow, cooking rears its head whereever I find myself. That I am a cook is not one of the first things I say about myself when I meet people.

 

Really, so what is the first thing you say about yourself when you introduce yourself?

 

I say my name is Hilda Bassey. I am 25 years old. I am a TV presenter. I am an actress. I mean, that I am a cook is the last thing I say about myself but some way, somehow, it keeps rearing its head and this made me understand that it is not something I can run away from.

I have accepted it and embraced it. Aside your jollof rice, which other dishes would you say people are crazy about? You have to visit my Instagram page to see for yourself. I am all about food looking good and tasting good. I am not about, Oh taste it first!

No. My food has to look good and then, when you taste it, it has to match up to what it looks like. Everything I make, I come up with recipes that guarantee that my meals are going to look good and taste good.

 

Just like the saying goes, that the way into a man’s heart is through his stomach, do you get suitors because how well you cook?

 

As in, I get that on my Direct Messages (DM) every day. One man sent a message asking me to come to Dublin, that we would open a restaurant and we would make so much money together and that he will marry me too. I had such a laugh at that message. I get a lot of advances when I post myself while cooking on my page.

 

I have had some men order food just because they want to meet me and get to know me.

 

There was a time when I started the business that I called myself ‘The Bachelors wife’ because back then, I had mostly bachelors as customers. But at some point, I had to change the name because many started misunderstanding it. I get such messages and sometimes, I ignore or I respond that this is a business page.

 

You said you are an actress. Tell us about the movies you featured in.

My most notable acting experience is when I played the supporting lead character in the AMVCA’s nominated ‘Dream Chaser’. The movie was done by the students of MultiChoice talent factory. It was nominated for best movie in that category.

 

I have played small roles in other movies as well. I have featured in two other movies produced by the MultiChoice talent factory students but directed by Sinachi, who does a lot of work for Iroko TV and African Magic. I used to host the Breakfast segment of a morning show called Morning Rave on Rave TV.

 

I hosted the first edition of MTN Yellow Star last year alongside Tobi Bakare. I have compered a wedding event. I mean, I have been in almost all entertainment career that I can be.

 

 

The organisers Jollof Faceoff competition mentioned that they will be taking the contest to other African countries like Senegal. Are you the one to represent Nigeria in those countries or are they going to get new representatives?

 

I am currently holding the title and I have to defend the title. From the conversation I had with the organisers, they plan to make this contest bigger. They are taking the competition to Ghana like a rematch and obviously, Ghana is going to get a representative like we did in this first competition.

 

The competition is a friendly match. Then moving forward, they are going to incorporate other countries like Sierra Leone, Senegal. They are going to add some more countries to make it more interesting. It’s a good way to bring people together. Food brings people together.

 

This is one way we can experience each other’s cultures, food and language. Conducting the contests in these countries will help us experience their own spices, peppers and their rich recipes. I am very enthusiastic about cooking. I want to win the one we will have in Ghana, so I can be able to experience other African countries that follow.

 

The Jollof Face-off, to me was an incredible event, not just because it was successful but because of the turnaround of the event.

 

There are events that organisers focus more on creating a buzz and at the end of the day, they don’t get the turnout they targeted.

 

The event was such a good idea and it’s an event people love to identify with. I mean, the success of the event shows that many Nigerians can’t wait for this Jollof rice battle between Nigeria and Ghana to begin in the physical and here we

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