Last Saturday saw top chef Joël Robuchon and a team of 200 student apprentices in France enter the Guinness World Records for creating the largest serving of mashed potatoes.

The attempt, which took place at amusement park Le Futuroscope in Poitiers, started at 06:30 am and finished at 11:30 am with the final vat of mashed potatoes weighing an incredible 2,297 lbs.

Students from the culinary schools of Tours and La Rochelle created the mash following the recipe of Michelin-starred restaurateur Robuchon while under the supervision of chefs Noël Gutrin, Eric Bouchenoire, Christian Augier and Laurent Marko (Fleury Michon).

Instead of throwing potatoes into a giant mixer, the students were tasked with making individual batches atop hot plates, grinding the potatoes in a mill and mixing the mash by hand, all of which was then transferred into the huge holding vat.

It took 800 kg of Rattes du Touquet potatoes and 551 lbs of local butter from Poitou-Charentes, along with 80 gallons of milk to prepare.

The attempt was organised to help amusement park Le Futuroscope in Poitiers celebrate its 25th anniversary.

Guinness World Records require that all large food record attempts, must ensure that the food used must either be consumed or distributed for consumption after it has been measured, and this attempt was no different, with the finished mash handed out to park visitors following the event.

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