SOME people will go to any lengths to get their favourite take away delivered – but a Llanidloes curry house went one step further this week by delivering more than 6,000 miles away in Malaysia.

The Raj Mahal on Great Oak Street, Llanidloes, helicoptered a box of food to hungry businessmen and aeronautical engineers working on an aircraft project on the Malay peninsula alongside their regular parts order.

“We were asked to cater for a group of aircraft engineers which we do often, only this time they said they were working in Malaysia!” said Raj Mahal’s executive chef, Mofur Miah. 

“I understand that Malaysia has its own twist on Indian Cuisine but British people are accustomed to British Indian food.

“They asked to have the curry flown out with tools and spares on Tuesday, so they flew in by helicopter from Lutterworth to pick up the curries and then jumped on a scheduled airliner to Malaysia to be sent out there with tools and equipment.”

“We worked over night preparing the meals and, in accordance with HASSP rules, we chilled and packed the food in dry ice so that it keeps over such a long distance."

The restaurant then arranged a landing slot with St Idloes Golf Club before a company pilot flew in to collect the spicy snacks in front of surprised club members.

Mr Miah, who previously worked at Eye of The Tiger restaurant in Bournmouth, lists celebrity acts Liberty X, Aswad and Jamaican reggae duo Chaka Demus & Pliers as some of his former clients, but, perhaps predictably, says the Spice Girls were his most famous customers.

He declined to say which Spice Girl was his favourite. 

“It’s certainly something different for us. We’ve delivered orders from all over the UK so now it’s nice to say we’ve gone international!” he added.

County Councillor Gareth Morgan, who helped to arrange access for the helicopter to land at St Idloes Golf Club, said it was a unique event for the town, and he wished Mr Miah and his team well after taking over at the Raj Mahal last month.

“It is fascinating and unique for Llanidloes. I hope the new people at the restaurant are very successful.”