Ghanaian chef, Ebenezer Smith, widely known as Millennium Chef Smith, has been apprehended and is currently detained at La Police Station for falsifying a Guinness World Record for marathon cooking.
On Tuesday, Smith showcased a certificate at a press conference, claiming he was the new world record holder for an 820-hour and 25-minute cook-a-thon, which commenced on February 1 and concluded on March 6, 2024.
The event, held at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra, was attended by notable performers like Praye Tietia, Yaw Tog, Amerado, Kofi Jamar, and the Asakaa Boys.
Addressing his audience, Smith stated, “Today is the day that I will forever remember. I am incredibly humbled and honoured to stand before you today as the Guinness World Record holder.”
In a prior social media announcement, Smith had shared, “It is with great pleasure and honour that we inform the general public and the media about Millennium Chef Smith’s press conference. He will be announcing his results from the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual. The event will take place at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, at 2:00 pm. Thank you for your cooperation.”
However, the PR Executive for Guinness World Records, Alina Polianskaya, confirmed to the BBC the invalidity of his certificate, stating, “No, this is not true at all. He does not hold the GWR title, and that is not our certificate. The current and true record holder is: The longest cooking marathon (individual) is 119hr 57 min 16 sec and was achieved by Alan Fisher (Ireland) in Matsue, Shimane, Japan, from 28 September to 3 October 2023.”
Following the announcement of his fabricated record and the display of his certificate, Smith was swiftly arrested. It was reported by The PUNCH that Smith had received funds from various sponsors for his cook-a-thon, which he had not properly registered with GWR.
A sponsor, the owner, name withheld, of the Amadia Shopping Mall, who had contributed about 350,000 cedis, was instrumental in his arrest.
Efforts to reach the La Police for comments were unsuccessful, with their contact number unreachable and emails undelivered to the address listed on their website.
Alan Fisher, an Irish chef, currently holds the record for the longest cooking marathon, having achieved a time of 119 hours and 57 minutes.
This accomplishment surpasses the previous record held by Nigeria’s Hilda Baci by over 24 hours.
“Alan Fisher (Ireland), an owner and chef of a restaurant in Japan, has broken two cooking-related Guinness World Records titles. First up, he’s claimed the longest cooking marathon (individual) after clocking in a time of 119 hours 57 minutes. That is more than 24 hours longer than the previous record held by Nigerian chef Hilda Baci.”
