Chef Smith Dribbles All, But Damages His Integrity  

…Guinness World Records Disowns Him

Ghanaian Chef, Ebenezer Smith, appears to have brought shame and ridicule on himself and the country, after he had declared himself, as the latest record holder for longest cooking marathon attempt by an individual.

Even though, there were no official communication from Guinness World Records (GWR), Chef Smith, as he is commonly known, successfully hoodwinked the public and announce himself through the media, at a packed press conference, as the latest world record holder for longest cooking attempt.

But less than 12 hours after his self-declaration, the global body, GWR, said it has no knowledge of Chef Smith’s so-called attempt, let alone issue him with a certificate as the newest record holder.

It described as fake, the certificate that Chef Smith paraded during his press conference at the La Palm Beach Resort on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Accra.

“To confirm, he does not hold the GWR title and the certificate is not real and has not come from Guinness World Records”.

“No, we were not aware. We have not received an application from him for this attempt,” GWR PR Manager, Madalyn Bielfeld, told graphiconline in an email.

Interestingly, the Ghanaian Chef, has since deleted everything that has to do with Tuesday’s announcement from his social media handles.

Chef Smith and his team out of the blue, organized a press conference to announce the news. At the presser, Chef Smith, showed to the cameras and all present a certificate, indicating he is indeed the record breaker amidst applauds.

“The longest cooking marathon (individual) is 802 hours 25 minutes and was achieved by Ebenezer Smith (Ghanaian) in Spintex, Accra, Ghana. From 1 February to 6 March 2024”, the certificate read.

Media Houses Dribbled

Indeed, many reputable houses, including graphiconline, 3news, Ghanaweb, Citinewsroom, Myjoyonline, Asaaseonline, as well as BBC pidgin, had all given the news prominence.

But that declaration, has turned out to be fake.

Hours after the news went viral and congratulatory messages poured in, some unsatisfied individuals started questioning why GWR, has not yet announced Smith, as the new record holder on its page, as it did or does for others.

This, forced some Ghanaians to write to Guinness World Records, to confirm or deny the news. This caught the attention of many local media networks and individuals who decided to seek the truth.

“Hello TV3, thank you for getting in touch. We can confirm this is not true. Chief Smith does not hold the GWR title and that is not our certificate. The current and true current record holder is as follows.

The longest cooking marathon (individual) is 119 hr 57 min 16 sec and was achieved by Alan Fisher (Ireland) in Matsue, Shimane, Japan, from 28 September to 3 October 2023. Best wishes, Dan”, the team said in a reply to TV3.

Chef Smith, who has already been recognized as Executive Chef by his association, has since not said anything about the scandalous event.

Smith began his cook-a-thon on February 1, 2024, without much fanfare at the Amadia Shopping Centre at Spintex, Accra.

He cooked for 820 hours, ending his marathon on March 6, 2024, although he initially targeted 1,200 hours and was hailed by many Ghanaians.

Arrest

Meanwhile, Ebenezer Smith, who was arrested together with his manager, Benny Benjamine, have been released from police custody with no charges after spending a night at the La Police station.

Chef Smith and his manager, were picked up by officers from the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel on Tuesday, shortly after he announced to press men that he has indeed set the new Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual.

According to the Chef’s manager, Benny Benjamine, the arrest was occasioned by Ghanaian musician, Nana Borro, who claimed he sponsored the Chef’s Smith’s cook-a-thon challenge and for that matter wants his sponsorship back.

He said, Nana Borro and an official from Amadia Shopping Centre, brought the Police to their press conference for the arrest.

Many are yet to come to terms with the whole scandal. While some are asking what could have gone wrong, others wonder if it was deliberate, how Smith thought he could have gone unchecked in this day and age?

Source: Anchorghana.com