A takeaway store manager managed to deflect an armed robbery by simply ignoring the masked gunman who attempted to steal his takings.

Said Ahmed was making a chicken souvlaki for a customer in his shop in Christchurch, New Zealand, earlier this month, when the man walked in and tried to hold up the Egyptian Kebab House.

In an astonishing moment of coolness captured on the shop's CCTV, the brave owner simply ignores the robber and continues making the dish before handing it to his customer, as the gunman is left waiting with his bag in one hand and gun in the other.

The would-be robber then gives up and walks away empty-handed.

"The man wanted to frighten me and I decided he couldn't do that," Ahmed told the Guardian.

"I passed the customer his food because I wanted him to leave the shop and not be in any danger."

Ahmed emigrated from Egypt to New Zealand 20 years ago and described it as a "safe country."

Canterbury police are investigating the incident.