Chefs Association of Ghana disowns Chef Smith, says he's not our member

Peter Agborvi, the General Secretary of the Chefs Association of Ghana, has revealed that Chef Smith is not a registered member of the association.

According to him, they contacted Chef Smith’s team at the beginning of his cook-a-thon to register him because he was using their logo during his cook-a-thon, but he did not comply.

In an interview with GHone TV, Peter Agborvi stated, “We contacted his team to register with us because he was using our logo during his cook-a-thon, but he didn’t.”

This disclosure has raised questions about the legitimacy of Chef Smith’s affiliation with the association and his overall professional standing within the culinary community in Ghana.

Chef Smith, who recently announced himself as the new record holder for the longest cooking marathon by an individual, claimed on 2 July 2024 that the Guinness World Records had awarded him a certificate for setting a new record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual.

However, in an official response email, Guinness World Records clarified the situation, 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 119 hr 57 min 16 sec and was achieved by Alan Fisher (Ireland) in Matsue, Shimane, Japan, from 28 September to 3 October 2023.”

Chef Smith made the announcement at a press conference at the La Palm Beach Hotel on Tuesday, 2 July.

Chef Smith started his cook-a-thon journey on 1 February 2024. He cooked for 820 hours, ending his marathon on 6 March 2024, even though he initially targeted 1,200 hours.

The Chefs Association of Ghana maintains strict membership requirements, and the use of their logo signifies endorsement and adherence to their standards. Chef Smith’s failure to register has led to concerns about his representation of the association during his publicised cook-a-thon events.