Irish chef and owner of a restaurant in Japan, Alan Fisher, has achieved two remarkable Guinness World Records in the realm of cooking and baking.
His first record-breaking feat was the “longest cooking marathon (individual),” where he impressively cooked for 119 hours and 57 minutes. This exceeded the previous record held by Nigerian chef Hilda Baci by more than 24 hours.
Not content with one achievement, Alan then went on to secure the title for the “longest baking marathon (individual)” with an incredible time of 47 hours and 21 minutes. The previous record holder, Wendy Sandner from the USA, had held the record with a time of 31 hours and 16 minutes.
What makes this accomplishment even more impressive is that Alan undertook both record attempts consecutively. This means that he spent over 160 hours in the kitchen, with just a little over a day of rest in between these remarkable feats. Alan Fisher’s dedication and culinary prowess have truly earned him a place in the Guinness World Records.
Recreating Irish culture in Japan
In 2008, the year of his graduation from Dublin City University, Alan was in search of a new challenge. His journey led him to an overseas graduate program that connected Irish graduates with companies in Asia, ultimately resulting in a job offer at a company in Tokyo.
Over the course of six years, Alan not only established a solid presence in Tokyo but also met his future wife, who would later become his business partner. Despite his achievements, something within him didn’t sit quite right.
“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.”
In August 2014, Alan made a bold decision to follow his entrepreneurial instincts and embark on a new journey. For him, the choice was clear: Irish food and culture would be the foundation of his business.
Alan’s establishment, Kyojin Stewhouse, places a strong emphasis on the staples of Irish households, such as hearty stews, soul-warming soups, freshly baked bread, and, of course, the beloved potato. Alan’s vision was to create an atmosphere where customers not only experienced the flavors of Ireland but also felt the warmth of being in his own home.
Breaking records
Alan’s introduction to the longest cooking marathon record came in March while he was actively participating in the “I Love Ireland” festival in Tokyo. This festival was a special occasion where Alan even spent two nights in a rented kitchen car, fully immersed in the culinary world.
During one of his breaks at the festival, Alan decided to research the current record holder for the longest cooking marathon. To his surprise, he found out that Lata Tondon (India) held the record with an impressive time of 87 hours and 45 minutes. However, by May, he discovered that Hilda Baci had extended the record, achieving a remarkable 93 hours and 11 minutes.
Throughout this period, Alan was also contending with the various challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, which had taken a toll on his business.
“When Omicron spread, a sudden dining out advisory from the local Government meant I lost all my reservations for the month of July 2022 and needed to take out a pandemic support loan just to pay bills,” he said.
“I was broke and heartbroken. To have worked so hard for so long, to give up your own savings, your own salary and then still need a loan simply to stay in business with no guarantee things will recover. That was a tough pill to swallow.”
Despite the recent easing of restrictions, Alan continued to carry this negative energy as he continued with his work. “Lata and Hilda’s achievements served as an inspiration,” he said.
To redirect his frustration and transform negativity into a positive endeavor, Alan made the decision to embark on this record-breaking journey himself.
The record attempt proved to be extremely challenging, even during the preparation phase. In particular, Alan had to make a food distribution plan so that there would be no wastage of the food he cooked. “Everything must be for human consumption. My attempt would only be successful if the people of Matsue got behind what I was doing and showed up to support the challenge.”
In addition, Alan needed to film the record his attempt for evidence. He was thankful that TSK, the local TV provider, came to help. “I know that they needed to allocate staff and resources to support this challenge. This costs time and money and is definitely not lost on me. I’m incredibly grateful to them.”
During the record attempt, Alan had to overcome different types of obstacles as time went by. During the longest baking marathon (individual) record attempt, it was his back that caused him trouble. Because Alan was mixing dough by hand, his posture got distorted, and as a result, his back got tight and sore.
Towards the end of the longest cooking marathon (individual) record attempt, Alan had to endure fatigue and sleepiness. “I peeled roughly 300 kg of potatoes during the cooking marathon. For the first few days, I would look forward to this each evening as it gave me a chance to sit down.”
“Towards the end of the cooking marathon however, as fatigue started to take hold I would find it more and more difficult to stay awake whenever I sat down to start peeling. The rhythm of the peeling would almost hypnotize me. I had one hallucination on the second-to-last day. I turned to ask someone to pass me something, like I would on any normal day only to realize there was no one there.”
In the face of numerous challenges, Alan found the unwavering support of the local community to be the driving force that encouraged him to persevere.
“It got to the point where I definitely couldn’t give up. In my mind, I was representing myself, my family, and Irish food, and through these attempts, I was sharing our story. As time went by it became clear that many people in Matsue were also wishing me well. As if I had been adopted into this community over 9,000 km from my home. How could I not persevere? That was the only option.”
Following nine intense days of relentless baking and cooking, Alan managed to produce a staggering 357 kg of soda bread and 590 kg of delectable dishes, which equated to a grand total of 3,360 portions featuring 32 different recipes.
The culmination of this incredible effort was beautifully rewarded when Alan proudly received his two Guinness World Record certificates.