Hoppers, now serving at 35,000 feet
For the past decade, we’ve been cooking up our favourite memories of Sri Lanka and South India here in London. That means the home cooking, the roadside stalls and the late nights at the toddy shop. This winter, those flavours are heading home.
When British Airways told us they were returning to Sri Lanka with a direct route from London Gatwick to Colombo, we knew we had to be part of it. After a few calls and many long Hoppers lunches, we teamed up with BA’s culinary team on a menu that gives travellers a taste of Sri Lanka before they’ve even landed, the Hoppers way.
The menu is built around the dishes our guests keep coming back for, adapted for the skies.
The meal starts with yoghurt vadai: soaked lentil fritters with yoghurt, tamarind and coriander chutney, finished with crisps. They’re our take on the snacks sold by hawkers along Galle Face Green, Colombo’s famous seafront promenade.
For mains, there’s a choice of our signature Kalupol-spiced chicken with tangy lemon rice and beetroot curry, or Pollichathu cod. The cod is marinated in tomato chilli paste, cooked in banana leaf, and served with coconut rice and spicy pineapple curry.
To finish, there’s Watalappam bread pudding with spiced crumble and malt cream. It’s the Sri Lankan coconut-and-jaggery custard meeting the great British bread pudding, and we’re quite proud of it.
Full circle
“It’s long been a dream to serve Hoppers food in the skies, so we were thrilled when British Airways approached us about this partnership,” says Karan Gokani. “For the past decade, we’ve brought some of our favourite memories and flavours of Sri Lanka to our restaurants in London, and taking them back to Colombo feels like a wonderful full-circle moment.”
The details
British Airways flies from London Gatwick to Colombo three times a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) from 23 October 2026, for the winter season. The Hoppers menu is available in Club World only, from 23 October to 30 December 2026.
