There has never been a bigger Nanaimo bar on planet Earth, weighing over 1,100 pounds, measuring 70 feet long and three feet wide, Nanaimo now holds the world record. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

record breakers

‘So proud of our students:’ world’s largest Nanaimo bar unveiled

May 17, 2025 | 1:16 PM

NANAIMO — It’s official: Nanaimo is now home to the world’s largest Nanaimo Bar.

The world record was set by students and staff at Vancouver Island University’s Professional Baking and Pastry Arts and Culinary Arts programs on Saturday, May 17 and was the culmination of years of planning and a full week’s worth of hands-on work.

Chair of the Baking and Pastry Arts program Aron Weber told NanaimoNewsNOW he’s relieved to have the attempt, measuring 70 feet by three feet and weighing roughly 1,100 pounds, turn out exactly as they planned.

“I’m just so proud of our students and just seeing it in real life, it’s what we envisioned, and it’s amazing to see all these people come out and support. We’re super happy.”

Students from VIU’s culinary programs, who made the bar, watch over their creation. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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The bar, which took up the entire length of VIU’s Trades Discovery Centre, was made using around 300 pounds of butter, 151 pounds of chocolate, 46 pounds of walnuts, 46 pounds of cocoa powder, 62 pounds of coconut, 46 pounds of Graham cracker crumbs, 407 eggs and 440 pounds of icing sugar.

Weber said the process of constructing the bar through the week, along with the final chocolate pour on Saturday morning, went very smoothly.

“Totally fine, as chefs, we like to figure out anything that might go wrong and we anticipate that. Unfortunately, it’s a little bit of a wet day outside but the cold weather was to our advantage, it kept the room nice and cool and easy for the chocolate setup.”

The record was officially certified by the Baking Association of Canada and the Culinary Federation of Canada.

Thousands got their first glimpse at the world record on Saturday morning, filing into the Trades and Discovery Centre to see the massive treat. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

In honour of the accomplishment, Mayor Leonard Krog officially proclaimed May 17, 2025, as Nanaimo Bar Day in the City.

He said it was about time the city got the title “it richly deserves”.

“It is only right and proper that we host the creation of the biggest Nanaimo bar in the history of the planet. It is not the Victoria Bar, it is not the Saskatoon Bar, it is not the Ottawa Bar, it is the Nanaimo Bar,” Krog told a crowd of well over 2,000 people on Saturday.

Krog mentioned to NanaimoNewsNOW prior to his official remarks, he was pleased to see the appropriate ratios and construction of the treat, something he’s very passionate about.

“First class job, this is not the sad mistake that Canada Post made when they created the Nanaimo bar stamp, which hangs on my wall in my office as a mark of shame.”

Mayor Leonard Krog pays tribute to Joyce Hardcastle (left), who won a contest in 1986 and lays claim to the official Nanaimo Bar recipe. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Nanaimo’s connection to the dessert dates back to 1953, when a recipe for a chocolate square was published in a cookbook with the title, ‘Nanaimo Bar’.

The City then held a four-week-long contest to adopt an official recipe in 1986, won by local resident Joyce Hardcastle.

Attending on Saturday, Hardcastle said she could never imagine her recipe would go on to inspire this level of community spirit.

“I feel immense pride that I live in this city, I feel pride that I won this competition and for over 35 years I’ve had all this fun celebrating this recipe. I also really am so happy that this event is a fundraiser for the new ovens for the culinary department at VIU, it’s an amazing department and I’m very proud of VIU in general.”

Unveiled Saturday, Nanaimo is officially home to the world’s largest Nanaimo Bar. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

The event also served as a fundraiser to purchase new ovens for the culinary programs, with special merchandise available for purchase.

Any leftover Nanaimo Bar after Saturday’s event will be frozen and donated to the Salvation Army in Nanaimo.

VIU’s world record was officially certified by a pair of professional organizations on Saturday, clinching the record from Ontario. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

The giant bar was cut up into generous portions for people to take free of charge. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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