British Airways adds a Hoppers Sri Lankan menu to Club World on its new Gatwick–Colombo flights

British Airways will serve a Sri Lankan menu from London restaurant group Hoppers in Club World on its new Gatwick to Colombo route. The menu runs from the first flight on October 23 until December 30, 2026. Before departure, business class travelers at Gatwick can also order a Hoppers cocktail in the British Airways Club Lounge.

The airline announced the tie-up on October 14 in its press release. It is a limited-time menu, not a permanent change to Club World catering. Still, it gives the route's business class cabin a distinct identity for its first winter.

What is on the menu

British Airways says the menu draws on dishes Hoppers is known for in London. The starter is a lentil vadai, a soaked lentil fritter served with yogurt, tamarind sauce, coriander chutney and channa (chickpea) crisps. The airline likens it to the street snacks sold on Galle Face Green in Colombo.

For the main course, there are two choices:

• Kalupol chicken with lemon rice and beetroot curry
• Pollichathu cod, marinated in a tomato and chili paste and cooked in banana leaf, with coconut rice, pineapple curry and beetroot curry

Dessert is watalappam bread pudding with spiced crumble and malt cream. British Airways calls it a Sri Lankan take on a classic British pudding.

Hoppers opened in Soho in 2015 and earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in its first year. It now also has sites in Marylebone, King's Cross and Shoreditch. Its founder, Karan Gokani, worked on the menu with Mark Brega, the airline's executive chef. Brega said the aim was to capture "the spirit of Sri Lankan hospitality" before customers land.

The menu is for Club World only. The release does not mention changes in World Traveller Plus or World Traveller.

A cocktail in the Gatwick lounge

The ground part of the deal is small but easy to enjoy. The British Airways Club Lounge at Gatwick South will pour a drink called the Ceylon Pearl. It mixes Tanqueray Rangpur gin, lychee and pink citrus tonic.

The release does not say how long the cocktail will be offered, or whether it is limited to Colombo passengers. Anyone who can use the lounge is likely to find it on the bar menu, but the airline has not confirmed that.

Club World travelers get into the Club Lounge on their boarding pass. Members with oneworld Sapphire or Emerald status can also use it when flying a oneworld airline. Gatwick South has a long list of other lounges for travelers without status. The No1 Lounge (South) and Club Aspire (South) both take Priority Pass. See the full list on our Gatwick airport page.

The Colombo flights

The route itself is new for British Airways this winter. We first covered it when the airline set out its winter 2026 schedule. The flights will run three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, for the winter season only.

All three long-haul cabins are on sale: Club World business class, World Traveller Plus premium economy and World Traveller economy. British Airways says return fares start at £524, including taxes and carrier charges. The release does not name the aircraft type.

The flight leaves from Gatwick, not Heathrow. That matters for anyone connecting from elsewhere in the British Airways network. Most long-haul connections run through Heathrow, so a transfer to this route can mean a cross-London trip by road or rail.

Waiting in Colombo

On the way home, the flight departs from Colombo's Bandaranaike International Airport. British Airways has not said which lounge it will use for its Club World customers there. Our Colombo airport page lists the Lotus First Class Lounge, which takes oneworld status and Priority Pass. It also lists the Palm Strip Lounge, which takes Priority Pass and DragonPass.

The 10:35 a.m. departure lands in London the same afternoon. Plan for an early start if you are coming from a beach on the south coast, and leave time for breakfast in the lounge.

Our take

Celebrity chef and restaurant menus are now common in long-haul business class. This one is narrow: one route, one cabin, about ten weeks. But for travelers who booked Club World to Colombo in the first weeks, it means the meal will match the destination. The Gatwick lounge cocktail is a small extra for anyone on the way out.

More about the airline is on our British Airways page.