Nanaimo was already home to the world's best Nanaimo bars 鈥� now the community can claim the world's biggest Nanaimo bar, too.
A team from Vancouver Island University established a new world record on Saturday, May 17, constructing a 1,100-pound (500 kilogram), 70-foot (21-metre) Nanaimo bar.
The bar was made inside the Windsor Plywood Trades Discovery Centre and was cut up and served right away to community members lined up in the rain.
The notion of creating the world's largest Nanaimo bar started as a bit of a joke, said the VIU alumni who came up with the idea. Alumnus Erik Cessford said "didn't sit right" with VIU students, and so they pitched the record attempt to instructors.
Emily Huner, VIU's acting president, said that idea was realized through the passion and efforts of instructors and students.
"They saw a great opportunity to not only provide a fantastic hands-on learning experience for our students, but also to spark some community pride at VIU," she said.
Representatives of the Baking Association of Canada and the Culinary Federation were on hand at Saturday's event to confirm the dimensions of the Nanaimo bar and certify the new world record.
"I can only say that it's only right and proper that we host the creation of the biggest Nanaimo bar in the history of the planet," said Mayor Leonard Krog, who proclaimed Saturday as Nanaimo Bar Day in the City of Nanaimo. "Often imitated but never bested, this chocolate and custard layered bar complete with a crumbly bottom has reached international popularity and earned a special place in the hearts and stomachs of dessert lovers all over the world."
Aron Weber, chairperson of VIU's professional baking and pastry arts program, said he was looking forward to getting some sleep and joked that a colleague's suggestion of the world's biggest martini sounded like a pretty good idea.
"I'm just so proud of everybody involved 鈥� our faculty, our students and the whole team here," Weber said.
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