Filet me one! French butchers break record after preparing a hippo-sized amount of steaks
It took the 48 butchers, working in teams of four, all day to disassemble the truckload of pork parked in the main square of Les Andelys, France last month – as they turned the meat into those premium slices of steak known to cost a pretty penny.
Yet the end result was more than worth it, as they were able to walk away with the mouth-watering culinary record for the most filet mignon prepared in 24 hours!
As part of a collective challenge to the 14 butcheries within the BVM Les Bouchers Traiteurs brand across France, their company president was curious if his talented employees could break a Guinness World Records title.
So he assembled the teams in Les Andelys, Normandy – where the company originally opened its first butcher shop – to take on this delicious initiative!
In France, the term “filet mignon” refers to a long muscle located along the spine, found in meats such as pork, beef, and veal.
However, the French traditionally consider that cut to be pork tenderloin, typically prepared as a whole piece – and therefore for this attempt, pork meat was used to obtain the title.
Read more stories about record-breaking dining in our dedicated Food and Drink section!
And on 8 - 9 April, the 24-hour attempt commenced with a bang, as the truck door swung open to reveal over 8,500 lbs (3,855.90 kg) of the top-tier meat! That’s roughly the weight of an adult male hippopotamus.
“[This was] a truly unifying event, marked by the pride and emotion of the president and all the teams involved,” said Guinness World Records Adjudicator Anouk de Timary, who witnessed the event.
She also mentioned that the attempt was embedded within a larger public event – including the sale of filet mignon portions at €10 ($11.70; £8.63), with €2 ($2.34; £1.73) donated to the foundation “Un petit truc en plus”, supporting inclusion and opportunities for people with disabilities.
Michelin-starred French chef David Gallienne was present as a guest of honour, alongside other influencers, which helped attract significant public attendance alongside the local media coverage.
Removing the boxes of meat from the truck
To maintain the health of their butchers, the team operated in rotating groups of two pairs: one focused on cutting and preparing, while the other handled tying and finishing. They prepared four different types of filet: three wrapped in bacon with tomato, featuring either goat cheese, raclette, or camembert; and a fourth option with emmental cheese, chorizo, bacon, and tomato.
Four refrigerated workstations were also installed on-site and monitored by a hygiene supervisor, to make sure that the food was continuously held to safety standards.
Finally, after 24 hard hours of work, the filets were packed into cartons, weighed, and then loaded into refrigerated trucks.
It was revealed that the butchers had prepared a total of 5,728 filets, which allowed them to take home the title – filling the room with joy and pride as the crowd celebrated their culinary achievement.
“It is fantastic for us to receive this recognition of our know-how, and a source of great pride for our teams to be among Guinness World Records title holders,” said the event organizers.
So congratulations to everyone who took part in this meaningful (and meat-filled) attempt – BVM, you are Officially Amazing!