The 26-year-old Chef, Damilola ‘Chef Dammy’ Adeparusi, has officially graduated with a Professional Culinary Art Chef diploma from the Hospitality Business School (HBS) in Lagos.
The graduation marks a pivotal chapter for the Ekiti-based chef, whose journey into the national spotlight began with a challenging cook-a-thon attempt in June 2023.
Her path to this achievement was not straightforward. Chef Dammy first gained widespread attention when she attempted a marathon cooking session, joining a trend of Guinness World Record-inspired cook-a-thons that swept Nigeria in 2023. However, the intense public and media scrutiny that followed took a severe personal toll.
In a past interview, she revealed the experience “broke” her, leading to cyberbullying, real-life assaults, and overwhelming mental strain. She described a period where she felt overwhelmed by the backlash, which was far more severe than she had ever anticipated.
Despite this challenging period, Chef Dammy channelled the experience into a drive for professional validation. Celebrating her graduation on social media, she expressed deep gratitude, writing, “It’s safe to say Chef Dammy is officially a professional chef”. She credited the “grace of God and the favour of men” for her progress and proudly noted that HBS is ranked among the top ten hospitality schools in the world.
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