Hollywood movie star Ryan Reynolds stunned locals when he named a Cheshire curry house the best in Europe - but the baffled owners had no idea who he was at the time. After the Deadpool actor praised the Light of India in Ellesmere Port on his Instagram page, the restaurant's phone has been "ringing off the hook" with people desperate to try it out.
Reynolds, who co-owns Welsh football team Wrexham AFC with friend and fellow actor Rob McElhenney, had nothing but praise for the Whitby Road eatery, telling his nearly 45 million Instagram followers it serves the "best Indian food in Europe". But while curry house bosses Rajia Rahaman, 48, and her husband Rahaman Batan, 51, have been thrilled with the exposure, they admitted they had no idea who the actor was when they first heard about his post, CheshireLive reports.
Taking his foodie recommendation seriously, and perhaps hoping to catch a glimpse of the 45-year-old Canadian actor tucking into an onion bhaji or a Balti, fans have reportedly been desperate to grab a table at the restaurant. Rajia and Rahaman say both walk-ins and pre-bookings have spiked since the star heaped praise on their grub.
Ryan shared a flyer for the restaurant with the caption: "Best Indian food in Europe" on his Instagram stories. And while Rajia and Rahaman were both on duty the night he ate his food, they confessed they did not have any idea who he was.
The curry house has been owned by the family since 1980 and boasts dishes like chicken tikka masala for £7.50 and a chef's special - a curry topped with an omelette - for £7.90. Rajia and Rahaman's son Shaa, 28, said they have been rushed off their feet since Ryan's post.
He said: "We have been really busy, it's been mental, the phone hasn't stopped ringing.
"My grandfather first owned the business in 1980 and it was passed down to my father in 2010, we've been around for 42 years, so the majority of people around here know us.
"But now so many more people know about us and we've had a lot of calls since the post. We've had more orders online and over the phone and we've had more people come and eat in.
"We don't know if Ryan Reynolds came in or if he got a takeaway - or if it was one of his team that came for it. Me and my sister found out the next day on social media when he shared the flyer on his Instagram page.
"We told mum and dad but they had no idea who he was, they were like 'who's he?'"
The family don't plan to market themselves based on Reynold's claim their food is the best in Europe, but may jokingly name a dish after him.
Shaa, a massive fan of Reynolds whose favourite film is Deadpool, added: "It's all subjective. I don't know what he ordered, but it's a massive claim to make.
"I'm a big fan, while I'm gutted I missed him, he's been and gone so it wasn't to be. I can't dwell on it, it was a nice surprise and I'm just grateful for his support.
"We're not going to rebrand the shop or anything based on his quote, but I'd love for him to come back and see what he ordered and have him in the restaurant in person.
"We might rename a dish after him, the Deadpool masala or something. He's quite a jokey guy, so it would be nice to have a joke with him.
"He'd have to try it first and see if he liked it and approve the name."
While the post has catapulted the family business into the spotlight, Shaa revealed Reynolds isn't the first celebrity they've had through their doors.
But it's not the first time a star has dropped into the restaurant. Shaa added: "Gary Lineker visited the restaurant in the late 1990s and posed for a picture with a Walker's Crisp packet with my dad and uncle."
