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Vancouver Island University students make world's largest Nanaimo bar
Vancouver Island University students make world's largest Nanaimo bar

CBC

time18-05-2025

  • General
  • CBC

Vancouver Island University students make world's largest Nanaimo bar

A Nanaimo bar whose recipe called for butter equivalent to the weight of a baby elephant has been certified as the world's largest during an event in the British Columbia city that bears the sweet treat's name. Baked by students at Vancouver Island University, the record-setting bar was unveiled to the public at noon on Saturday, and is 21.3 metres long, 0.9 metres wide and weighs nearly 500 kilograms. "I will really remember this experience for the rest of my life, just seeing the Nanaimo community come down and celebrate us, and seeing all the people cheering for us and excited for us to see and to break this record and have the record really hold in Nanaimo," said Lily David, a student from VIU's Professional Baking and Pastry Arts program. Aron Weber, the program's chair, said students got the idea a few years ago when they were brainstorming ways to generate publicity and excitement for a business. Weber said they looked up world records and found that the largest Nanaimo bar was made by a family in Ontario, and considering the B.C. city has so much pride around the bar, it inspired the students to bring the record home. The previous Guinness World Record for the largest Nanaimo bar was set in 2020 by a chocolatier from Levack, Ont., with a 240-kilogram bar. The new record-holding bar recipe includes 125 kilograms of butter, 91 kilograms of confectioners' sugar, 77 kilograms of graham cracker crumbs and 68 kilograms of dark chocolate. David praised the combo after getting a taste of the bar following the event. "You have a nice, crunchy base that has some walnuts and some coconut, and then a really nice, soft, fluffy custard, and then a perfect temperature ganache on top," David said. The record has been certified by two national organizations that represent VIU Trades students: the Baking Association of Canada and the Culinary Federation of Canada. WATCH | Raising the bar with world's largest Nanaimo Bar: Nanaimo university students raise the bar with world's largest Nanaimo Bar 24 hours ago Duration 1:01 In Nanaimo, students at Vancouver Island University's professional baking and pastry arts program are going for the record, fashioning a whopping 11,000-pound Nanaimo bar on Saturday. Students and faculty say they're hoping to bring the record back to Nanaimo, while also fundraising for new ovens for the program. Weber said it's like a dream come true that students and faculty worked together to create the largest bar, which will be on display at Windsor Plywood Trades Discovery Centre on campus and later cut into thousands of pieces to share with the public. "Everything we do here, like, what a great learning experience for our students, too," Weber said. "It's not every day you get to build something so huge." VIU said in a statement that the Nanaimo bar is a world-renowned dessert, and it was featured on the menu when U.S. President Barack Obama hosted a state dinner in 2016 for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife in Washington, D.C., and it has received the stamp of approval from Canada Post in 2019. Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog said the bar is much more than a "sweet, mouth-watering dessert." He said it's "an icon of the city." "It only makes sense that the largest Nanaimo bar ever made is put together here. Many thanks to these talented VIU students for beating the record right here at home," said Krog, who also proclaimed Saturday as Nanaimo Bar Day in the city. The goal of the event was more than just setting a new world record. It also raised money to buy new ovens for the university's culinary programs, since the current ovens are nearing the end of their lifespans. The project also brought faculty members and students together. Weber said four alumni who initially came up with the idea for the world's biggest Nanaimo bar years ago came back for this event, with two of them coming all the way from Scotland. "They are all very successful in the baking industry and we're super proud of them," said Weber, adding that he is thankful for all the support. Weber said they also don't plan on any leftovers.

Culinary students in B.C. are attempting to build the world's largest Nanaimo bar
Culinary students in B.C. are attempting to build the world's largest Nanaimo bar

CBC

time16-05-2025

  • General
  • CBC

Culinary students in B.C. are attempting to build the world's largest Nanaimo bar

A team of ambitious baking and culinary students from Vancouver Island University (VIU) is preparing to break a record that's as sweet as it is massive. On May 17, they'll attempt to make the world's largest Nanaimo bar, a chocolatey dessert that has long been a staple of the region's culinary identity. The idea was born a few years ago when students in the baking diploma program brainstormed ways to foster a locally inspired business. The project gained a competitive edge when the students learned that the current record for the world's largest Nanaimo bar wasn't held in its birthplace, but in Levack, Ont. There, in 2020, the Gorham family made a 240-kilogram, 2.4-metre-long Nanaimo bar. "We're very proud of our Nanaimo bar here, and it kind of lit the spark that we should bring that record back to Nanaimo and do it at the university," Aron Weber, head of the baking and pastry arts programs at VIU, told As It Happens host Nil Kӧksal. The Nanaimo bar was first conceived in Nanaimo around 1952 by three women shortly after the Second World War. It's typically made up of three layers: a crumbly base of wafer, coconut, and nuts; a custard icing middle; and a smooth chocolate ganache topping. It was first dubbed a "Nanaimo bar" in 1953 by Vancouver Sun columnist Edith Adams, and it later gained national fame when it was featured in the Expo '86 cookbook. To beat the current record, VIU's team plans to create a massive bar weighing in at a staggering 500 kilograms, or nearly 1,100 pounds. It will stretch over 21 metres in length — about the length of a blue whale — and measure nearly one metre wide. How will they make it? This is no small task, but the students have been hard at work in the days leading up, perfecting their technique and preparing for this giant undertaking. "We've done lots of experiments and tests on how long it takes for the glaze to set up, temperature-wise, all those things are being considered," said Weber. "It's kind of a great opportunity for students to learn all the little things you need to think about when you're trying to do something of this scale." Over the last few days, the team of about 50 students have been assembling the base and custard layers. Carpentry students have also been brought in to help construct the large frame, which is placed on a table to hold the dessert. On the day of the event, they'll be "sandwiching it all together" and pour the final layer — over 200 pounds of glaze — on top to complete the Nanaimo bar, says Weber. "We will be pouring the chocolate on it in one motion." Local community pride Making the giant bar is about more than just breaking a world record, says Weber. They'll be raising funds to replace old ovens used in VIU's culinary arts and professional baking and pastry arts programs. The current ovens are nearing the end of their lifespan and need to be replaced to continue providing students with top-tier training. The community has rallied around this event, and even creating a mascot named Nani the Nanaimo Bar to help generate excitement. The unveiling and construction of the giant Nanaimo bar will take place at the Windsor-Plywood Trades Discovery Centre on VIU's campus. After, the massive dessert will be cut into 3,500 pieces and shared with attendees, with some saved for the local food bank. The event will also serve as a homecoming for the four original students who first came up with the idea for the giant Nanaimo bar a few years ago. Though they've since graduated and are now working in the industry — ranging from Scotland to Vancouver and Ladysmith — these alumni will return to see their dream come to life. "They're all doing excellent in the industry, and we're super proud of them," said Weber. "It's their idea that got us into this, and we're thrilled they can come back and be a part of it." Weber invites everyone to come by and sample the bar, encouraging them not to hold back. "I do encourage people on Saturday to overindulge cause we're going to have a 70-foot-long one," he said. "We are hoping for a good turnout."

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