Entertainment critic Ola Michael has commended the lack of support lent to Ghanaian chef Ebenezer Smith as he attempted to break the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon.
In a recent interview, Ola expressed his satisfaction with the minimal crowd that surrounded Chef Smith during his challenging feat, as it allowed the chef to maintain his focus without any distractions.
Ola drew comparisons to previous attempts by Afua Asantewaa and Chef Faila, both of whom faced challenges due to the strict ‘rest break rule’ enforced by the Guinness World Record. According to Ola, the absence of a large audience played a significant role in Chef Smith’s success, as it enabled him to adhere to the demanding guidelines of the cook-a-thon contest without interruptions.
Chef Smith’s remarkable achievement came to fruition on March 6, 2024, at the Amadia Shopping Centre in Spintex, Accra, where he completed an impressive 820-hour cooking marathon.
Starting his ambitious journey on February 1, 2024, Chef Smith aimed to surpass the existing record of 119 hours set by Alan Fisher. Despite initially planning to extend his endeavor to 360 hours and later 1200 hours, Chef Smith ultimately decided to conclude on March 6, 2024.
While Chef Smith’s cook-a-thon initially flew under the radar, interest surged in the final days as a lineup of celebrities and musicians, including Amerado, Kofi Jamar, Nana Ama McBrown, Clemento Suarez, and Kwaku Manu, showed their support at the venue.
The culmination of Chef Smith’s marathon cooking session on March 6, 2024, was met with cheers and applause from the gathered crowd, marking the end of an extraordinary culinary journey.
