A CELEBRITY chef has returned to a historic Bradford curry house 22 years after his first visit.

Rick Stein, who is aged 77, wandered into the premises of Karachi Restaurant, in Neal Street, on the outskirts of the city centre – where it has stood since 1963 – back in April 2002.

He had a film crew in tow and Rick tucked into the house speciality, a lamb and spinach Karahi curry.

That featured in an episode of Rick’s first ‘Food Heroes’ series and the recipe for the dish made it into the Cornwall-loving chef’s spin-off cookbook.

Mumrez Khan, owner of Karachi, remembers that time 22 years ago fondly and was shocked when staff told him out of the blue that Rick had turned up at the restaurant today.

The restaurateur said: “It was a total shock when I saw him. It was really good to see him again, I was always thinking he was going to come. I was thinking, he might come round one day. I thought they were joking.”

Rick was tucking into the same dish he had more than two decades ago, which was named the ‘Rick Stein Karahi’ after that first visit.

Mr Khan told the Telegraph & Argus: “He said it’s as good as last time, never changed. He finished his dish, all of it.”

Rick is hosting ‘An Evening with Rick Stein’ at St George’s Hall tonight, starting at 7.30pm.