Ebenezer Smith, popularly known as Millennium Chef Smith, was recently arrested and detained at the La Police Station in Accra for falsifying a Guinness World Record for marathon cooking. Smith claimed to have set a new world record by cooking for 820 hours and 25 minutes, from February 1 to March 6, 2024.
At a press conference on Tuesday, held at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, Smith presented a certificate to his fans, asserting he was the new world record holder. The event was a grand affair, featuring performances by artists such as Praye Tietia, Yaw Tog, Amerado, Kofi Jamar, and the Asakaa Boys.
During the briefing, Chef Smith expressed his gratitude, saying, “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.”
However, the legitimacy of his certificate was swiftly debunked. Alina Polianskaya, PR Executive for Guinness World Records, confirmed to the BBC that Smith’s claim was false. “No, this is not true at all. He does not hold the GWR title, and that is not our certificate,” she stated. The actual record holder is Irish chef Alan Fisher, who achieved a 119-hour, 57-minute cooking marathon in Matsue, Shimane, Japan, from September 28 to October 3, 2023.
Following the revelation of his fake record, Smith was arrested. Reports indicate he had received significant financial support from sponsors for the cook-a-thon, including a substantial donation of 350,000 cedis from the owner of Amadia Shopping Mall.
Efforts to reach the La Police for comment were unsuccessful as their contact number was unreachable, and emails to the provided address went undelivered.
Chef Alan Fisher, who now holds the record, surpassed the previous title held by Nigerian chef Hilda Baci by more than 24 hours. Fisher, based in Japan, has now broken two cooking-related Guinness World Records.
