Behind the viral recipes, Ghana's Chef Abbys is reshaping what influence can look like

It was a simple mac and cheese tutorial posted on Snapchat. “It was just from that point,” she recalled. “It wasn’t because of any reason; it’s just because I do love cooking, and I just wanted to share what I was cooking at home.”

That casual moment became the starting point of a journey that would move from home cooking to digital influence, and now, social change. 

The video later evolved into a full recipe post on TikTok, helping her find an audience that connected with her food, her ideas, and eventually, her purpose.

In the early days, Chefabbys made a clear decision to stay behind the camera. For nearly two years, her videos focused only on the food. “For like two years I never showed my face… I just really love to cook,” she told Global South World in an interview. 

At the time, cooking was the focus, not visibility or recognition. That changed around December 2024, when she chose to step into the frame. “The moment you add your face to it, it becomes like your personality, showing what you can offer.” Showing her face helped shift how people saw her content. What once felt like a recipe page began to feel like a personal brand, built around a real person with a clear voice.

As her audience grew, so did the challenges behind the scenes. Chefabbys spoke about the financial strain of food content creation. “You need to buy the ingredients to shoot the recipe… and if that’s not coming anymore, you need to use your own money.” 

Beyond costs, there was also the pressure of standing out in a crowded digital space. “How do you stand out? What exactly will make people want to watch your videos?”

For her, the answer was never just better visuals or trend-driven content. It came from something deeper. Her relationship with food was shaped long before social media. 

“Growing up, we always came from a family where food was in abundance, and we always gave our food.” 

That habit of sharing stayed with her. Seeing people light up when they received a meal became meaningful. “I felt like, oh, if food can make somebody this happy, then imagine giving thousands of people that food.”

That thinking pushed her to look beyond content creation. She began to question how her words and values could turn into real action. “I wanted to make use of something I’ve been saying all the time… How do I change that thing that is just talking into something that is more passion-driven and action?”

The answer came on October 16, World Food Day, when Chefabbys launched the “Big Street Feast” in Accra. 

She turned the street into an open kitchen and fed tens of thousands for free. The event was simple in concept but powerful in impact. Food was shared without conditions or labels.

But she was not alone; her initiative received support from the office of Ghana’s president and local organisations. 

“People actually helped us. They came through. It was the first time, so people needed to see how it was going to go.” 

The crowd reflected the wider reality of food insecurity. Over 36 million people in West and Central Africa are on the verge of experiencing emergency hunger as a result of persistent conflict, difficult economic conditions, and severe weather, according to the World Food Programme (WFP). The situation in Ghana, Guinea, and Côte d'Ivoire is getting worse due to rising food and fuel prices.

According to WFP, a million of Ghana's more than 2 million people who experience food insecurity are chronically malnourished children under five.

“It’s not just for the underprivileged… businessmen, influencers, and everyday people” showed up, reinforcing her belief that food challenges affect many people, not just those often identified as vulnerable.

From that experience, a bigger vision took shape. The Ghanaian now wants every October 16 to be recognised as Free Food Day across her country and everywhere else. 

Her idea is simple: restaurants, communities, and individuals offering free meals on that day. 

“In the next five years, I want to see World Food Day as something that is practised out of Ghana, in countries, in restaurants… people should be able to walk in and eat for free.”

Her work has not gone unnoticed. In July 2025, she was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential Creators. Months later, at the TikTok Awards Sub-Saharan Africa held in Johannesburg in December, she earned 1st Runner-Up in the Food Creator of the Year category. 

For her, recognition is not pressure. “It gives me more opportunities to do more… I don’t feel pressure at all,” she said.

Despite being widely known as a chef and content creator, Chefabbys defines herself differently. 

“Being a chef is my passion. Being a creator is a platform… but being a changemaker is my vision, my hope, my dream.”