In an interview with Accra-based Hitz FM on 3 July 2024, Benny said he had no knowledge of the statements by GWR and that he had in his possession an official email from GWR declaring Chef Smith as the world record holder.
“I’m not privy to that. From what we know, it’s the same Guinness World Records that sent us an email and all that,” he claimed.
Asked if it was proven that the claims by Chef Smith were indeed false, Benny replied, “Let’s get there, and then we cross.”
However, it should be noted that, at the time of the publication of this article, Benny Benjamine has yet to produce a copy of the alleged email from GWR.
Smith began his cook-a-thon on 1 February 2024, without much fanfare at the Amadia Shopping Centre at Spintex, Accra.
He cooked for 820 hours, ending his marathon on 6 March 2024, although he initially targeted 1,200 hours.
On 2 July 2024, in a press conference in Accra, Chef Smith announced that he had been declared a title holder by GWR.
However, the Guinness World Records office officially stated that the certificate presented by Ghanaian chef Chef Smith, claiming he holds the record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual, is not authentic.