South Africa attempts record for simultaneous barbecue — Asharq Al-Awsat

In South Africa’s capital, Pretoria, thousands of people gathered at a stadium to attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the number of participants cooking barbecue simultaneously. Five hundred grilling stations were set up for the mass food preparation.

The record they sought to surpass

The current record is 2,220 people grilling food simultaneously. It was set in the Japanese city of Ishigaki in 2023. Organizers of the event in Pretoria expected about 3,000 participants, Asharq Al-Awsat reports, citing the Associated Press.

Under Guinness World Records rules, for a participant to be counted toward the record, they had to grill continuously for at least five minutes. Those who left their stations during the attempt were subject to disqualification. Paulina Sapinska, a Guinness World Records representative, monitored compliance with the requirements.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

An attempt during Heritage Day

The event was held on the national holiday, Heritage Day. In South Africa, cooking meat over an open fire is called braai; it is a widespread tradition, and the holiday itself is also unofficially called Braai Day. Among the foods prepared by participants were boerewors sausages, burgers, steaks and chops.

Last year, an attempt to set the record failed because too many people left their grilling stations. After the current event, Sapinska said that Guinness World Records representatives had to review the evidence, and a final decision on whether a new record had been set could be announced the following day.