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A history as prominent as its presence today
It’s a tale of a heritage; a sublime yet solid historical background that traces back to the 1840s. The Property of Jai Ho At The Coppingham Arms near Gatwick city airport south terminal has been handled by many owners over the decades. Read on to know more about your favorite Indian diner located at the heart of the UK.
Leaving behind a trail of stories of deliciousness and delight, Jai Ho’s popularity unfolded with the gradual turn of events through major social changes happening in the olden UK.
Records of being a pub in the early 20th Century
The Coppingham Arms, as the building was named back in the 16th century, first opened its doors in the late 19th century. There are bits & pieces of information that suggests evidence of brewing beer, but officially, it got its license to be opened as a pub only in 1874. Although, Hanna, who owned the place from 1871 – 1874 has recorded the property as a beer house. Back then, it used to be two back-to-back cottages, owned by its proprietor from the 1600s.
The current location, 263, Balcombe Road, Horley, Surrey – wasn’t always buzzing with customers back in the early 20th century. Looking back, from then to now, it has been a roller-coaster! Though not among the busiest of the roads, the Balcombe Road used to pull a
decent amount of crowd. Talking about the Coppingham Arms, it was mostly frequented by the locals and farmers as there were other popular joints providing beer. The bar at that time on the cottage that was locally known as “The Frog and The Eft” was frequently visited by locals. It is unknown if the owners made the beer themselves or outsourced it.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”1260″ img_size=”full” parallax_scroll=”no”][vc_column_text text_larger=”no”]
Major Milestones – Evolution throughout the 20th century
| Timeline | Ownership |
| 1822 to 1899 | Natan Chatsen |
| 1900 to 1912 | Baker & Baker (licensed valuers and member of the hockey association) |
| 1912 to 1914 | Thomas Smith |
| 1914 | Ownership handed down to George Smith and a cider press inventory was set up by him along with beer. |
| 1938 | Mary Jane Smith became the publican |
| 1945 to 1992 | Owned by the Lewis Family |
| 2000 | The cider inventory handed to a national trust |
| 2003 | Renovated as a restaurant with bar |
| 2009 | Renovated to Jai Ho At The Coppingham Arms |
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Expansion Of Gatwick Airport
The key event that played a huge role in increasing the popularity of the Coppingham Arms was the expansion of the Gatwick Airport as the second largest airport in the UK. This development and conjunction with around 1936 taxiways brought in lots of international tourists to the pub. It was like reaping the direct benefit of proximity to the airport.
Evolution during the wars
During World War II, the pub business was swollen, it was frequented by Gatwick Airport Personnels, army Squadrons, fighters. Not difficult to say, it has lived through history and has been a silent observer of the dynamic times of chaos.
The military squad used what is called today the black bridge to reach the Coppingham Arms. There are many souvenirs that are still retained from that time.
Post War Movement
Post-war there were huge developments along the Balcombe Road and it started to attract a good amount of crowd. International consumers from the airport have taken the pub’s popularity to an all-new high.
The concrete walls of the pub have heard the warfares, love stories, days of newlyweds, political strategies, and many more fascinating stories. No wonder its rich heritage echoes those tunes till day!
Being The Last Standing Saloon Bar In The Late 1900’s
After 2003, the pub underwent extreme alteration. Up until then, it was one of the last bars that continued their business as a separate public house and a saloon bar. Very soon it turned into a fine dining restaurant cum bar.
In 2009 The restaurant was renovated and It won’t be wrong to say that was the birth of your very own Jai Ho.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”1261,1262,1263,1264,1265,1266″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][/vc_column][/vc_row]