Pupils from Benenden created an enormous version of the School logo using more than 3,300 cookies in an attempt to set a new world record.
The girls are hoping to set a new official Guinness World Record for the longest continuous line of cookies. The current record stands at 1,916 cookies, set last year in Turkey, but last Wednesday (1 May) the girls laid a line of 3,336 cookies. The 315-metre long line spelt out the ‘B’ from Benenden’s well-known logo.
The attempt had to be carried out following strict instructions and the girls will now submit all their evidence to the judges and keep their fingers crossed until they hear whether their efforts have been ratified and the world record is theirs.
Head Girl Freddie Flintoff, 17, said: “It was lovely seeing the whole school come together for such a fun event and the atmosphere was fantastic.
“It would be amazing if we were to become world record holders but even if our attempt isn’t successful, we won’t be too disappointed because we all had a great time and got to enjoy some cookies!”
Prefect Fernanda Wood, 18, led the world record bid. She said: “We thought that trying to set a world record would be fun but also would be a real challenge that we could get our teeth into – and this was literally the case with this world record attempt!
“At Benenden we are so lucky to have such amazing chefs looking after us and the School is quite famous for its cookies and cakes so when I saw that there was a world record for the longest line of cookies, it seemed a good one to try to beat.”
As part of the challenge, the girls had to be involved in the creation of the cookies so across three evenings, every girl in Year 7 to 11 had the chance to cut the dough into cookie shapes. Then on the day the Sixth Formers laid out the cookies on the All-Weather Pitch, ensuring each one overlapped slightly to create a continuous line.
Once the final few cookies had been laid (on baking parchment, to ensure hygiene!) and the relevant photographs had been taken as part of the world record evidence, the girls were able to dash onto the pitch and devour the cookies!
The entire event was conceived by the girls themselves and was the culmination of weeks of planning and hard work. It was run by prefects on their so-called Muck-Up Day, a traditional day when the Sixth Formers who leave Benenden in the Summer take charge of the School, excluding lessons of course! As well as the world record attempt, they organised a fun breakfast and an after-school fete.
Headmistress Samantha Price said: “When the girls announced that they wanted to break this world record, I think we were all a little apprehensive because it is such a mammoth logistical task but they have done extremely well to pull it together and I have been incredibly impressed with their organisational skills and their teamwork.
“Our catering department will be making sure they don’t have much more sugar for the rest of the week!”
The current record-holder for the longest line of cookies is Turkish company Turyag, whose line of 1,916 cookies measured 153.28 metres in May 2018.