Alan Fisher (Ireland), an owner and chef of a restaurant in Japan, has broken two cooking-related Guinness World Records titles.
First up, he’s claimed the longest cooking marathon (individual) after clocking in a time of 119 hours 57 minutes. That is more than 24 hours longer than the previous record held by Nigerian chef Hilda Baci.
Alan then claimed the longest baking marathon (individual), with a time of 47 hours 21 minutes. The previous record holder was Wendy Sandner (USA) with a time of 31 hours 16 minutes.
What’s even more impressive is that Alan took on both attempts back to back, meaning he was at work in the kitchen for over 160 hours with just over a day of rest in between!
READ ALSO : 20 things to know about Hilda Baci & her Cookathon Guinness record
Recreating Irish culture in Japan
On the year of his graduation from Dublin City University in 2008, Alan was looking for a challenge. By going through an overseas graduate programme, which introduced Irish graduates to companies in Asia, Alan received a job offer at a company in Tokyo.
About six years later, Alan had established himself well in Tokyo, and also met his wife (and to-be business partner). But something didn’t feel right for him.
“After the wedding, saying goodbye to 30 friends and family who came over, I remember a feeling of being trapped, thinking to myself, ‘Is this it? Is this my life now, to have kids and work in the same company?’ It was time for the next challenge.”
So in August 2014, Alan took the leap of faith and decided to start his own business; it was not difficult for him to pick Irish food and culture as the main themes of the business.
Alan’s restaurant Kyojin Stewhouse focuses on the mainstays of Irish households: stews, soups, homemade breads, and potatoes. According to Alan, customers would not only feel like they’re in Ireland, but also feel as if they are in his home.
Breaking records
Alan learned about the longest cooking marathon record in March while he was participating in the “I Love Ireland” festival in Tokyo. During this festival, Alan stood inside a rented kitchen car and stayed overnight twice.
During a break, he searched on the internet to find out that the record at the time was held by Lata Tondon (India) with a time of 87 hours 45 minutes. Then in May, Alan realized that Hilda Baci had extended the record to 93 hours and 11 minutes.
