Restaurant makes 1,400-mile takeaway delivery

And it was down to the owners of Spice Mill, in Ricall, near York, to undertake a 1,400-mile round-trip to drop off a meal in La Rochelle, France, to ensure she got an express delivery.

Mrs Rider is currently in France for eight weeks hunting for a holiday home, and before she left her house in Wistow near Selby, told the bosses of the restaurant where she eats up to three times a week, of her fears of finding a decent curry.

Owners Akiqul Hussain, Hobib Ur Rahman and Mukit Shah had joked they would ship over a delivery.

But when she sent an email saying how much she missed the Spice Mill, they were only too happy to oblige.

Mr Hussain said: "It was a very long drive but when we delivered the food to her door it was definitely worth our while – she was speechless and never thought we would actually come.

"We had tried to get a delivery company to send it but most of them thought we were joking so just thought we would do it ourselves. We put it in a special container and were worried it would get confiscated at the border.

"I have never been to France before but we didn't get much of a chance to sample the local cuisine.

"We got lost for hours trying to find her house and it was not the easiest delivery to make in the world. I'm pleased we did it though, she was over the moon."

The restaurant made the meal at 1am on Saturday and then Mr Hussain and Mr Ur Rahman, both 30, set off in the car for France arriving late Sunday afternoon.

After dropping off her favourite meal of a tandoori king prawn rezala, complete with biryani, jalfrezi and six chapattis for herself and her daughter, the pair turned their car round and headed back to work.