The original 1930s Beehive terminal now pours £3–4 pints
The Beehive sits in Gatwick’s old Beehive terminal building next to the Premier Inn, a 5–10 minute shuttle or bus ride from the South Terminal. It’s a Wetherspoon pub with standard £3–4 beers and sub‑£10 mains, so noticeably cheaper than the Red Lion inside North Terminal. Rating hovers around 2–3 stars online, but regulars still use it as their pre‑flight pub.
This is fully landside and outside both North and South, so treat it as “night before” territory, not a 45‑minute layover plan. People staying at the Premier Inn often eat here around 6–8 p.m. before early flights, then just grab coffee airside in the morning. Airport staff also mention dropping in after shifts instead of going into Horley proper.
Menu is standard Spoons: all‑day breakfast, burgers, mixed grills and curry nights, with typical chain pricing (expect £7–9 for mains and under £6 for breakfast). Drinks run to cask ales, basic lagers, cheap wine and pub spirits. The angle here is price stability: reviews call out that costs feel like a normal high‑street Wetherspoon, rather than “airport pricing” at Gatwick.
Common complaints: service can crawl at hotel check‑in peaks between 7–9 p.m., with 20–30 minute waits for food on busy evenings. Being offsite, you also need to factor in the shuttle and then security; from pub table to South Terminal gate can easily run 45–60 minutes, and longer if you’re heading to North and need the inter‑terminal train.
Tip: If you’re flying from South and staying at the Premier Inn, eat here before 7 p.m., pay via the Wetherspoon app, and aim to be on an airport shuttle at least 90 minutes before departure time.