THIS week I heard a story that makes you realise why it is so important that takeaways exist . . . .and why some folk would actually starve if curry houses and kebab shops were not on every side street.

The teenage son of a friend decided to take the first step into cooking — well, he bought a pie — and after managing to turn on the oven he put the pie in . . . and looked on in horror when it crashed to the base of the oven and smashed into unedible pieces.

Being a teenager, he left it for mum to clean up.

Almost unbelievably, he hadn’t realised that the instructions on the wrapper to put the pie in the oven at 180 degrees actually meant temperature rather than angle, hence the pie-tastrophy.

If someone is that shockingly inept in the kitchen they need a good takeaway. And the Kismat is just that.

For just £8 the kid could have ordered a set meal for one comprising a mixed balti, rice, naan bread, two poppadoms and mango chutney.

It is a real feast from a menu that is crammed with choice.

The mixed balti was lamb and chicken and really nice and while the rice wasn’t just as good as it could have been, it barely took away from the experience.

It was a real meal — and maybe the lad with an understanding of angles rather than instructions needs to head in that direction.