We never received any application from Chef Smith for cook-a-thon attempt – GWR

Guinness World Records (GWR) office has stated that it never received an application for a cooking marathon by Ghanaian chef, Ebenezer Smith.

In a report by graphic.com.gh, Madalyn Bielfeld, PR Manager for GWR, in an email correspondence with Kweku Zurek of GraphicOnline, confirmed that the certificate presented by Chef Smith is not issued by GWR and that he does not hold the title for the longest cooking marathon.

She added that the body did not receive any application or evidence from Chef Smith to verify his attempt.

“No, we were not aware. We have not received an application from him for this attempt,” she said in an email to GraphicOnline.

Chef Smith reportedly began his cooking marathon on February 1, 2024, at the Amadia Shopping Centre in Spintex, Accra, and concluded it on March 6, 2024, after cooking for 820 hours.

His initial goal was to reach 1,200 hours.

The current official record is still held by Alan Fisher of Ireland, with a time of 119 hours, 57 minutes, and 16 seconds, set in Matsue, Shimane, Japan, from September 28 to October 3, 2023.

On July 2, 2024, Chef Smith, in a press conference in Accra, announced that he had been declared the record holder by GWR. He brandished a certificate allegedly from the body.

However, discrepancies were noted between the certificate displayed by Chef Smith and those typically issued by GWR.

For example, Chef Smith’s certificate lists his nationality rather than his country, and the duration of his attempt is spelt out in full, contrasting with the standard format used by GWR.