In 2014, the Ham community welcomed a visit from the then-Prince of Wales — today King Charles III. The visit recognised the long, steady work of regeneration around Ham Close and the small, independent businesses that hold the parade together. For us at Jaflong Tandoori, it sits in our memory as one of those quiet milestones that reminds you why an 18-year history in one neighbourhood actually matters.
We didn't cater the visit — but we were already part of the parade
We have always been careful to be truthful about that day: we did not cater the royal visit, and we hold no royal warrant. What we can say honestly is that Jaflong Tandoori had already been trading on Ham Parade for six years by 2014, and we were one of the established independents recognised in the wider Ham community at the time.
Why the visit mattered to local independents
The Prince's long-standing interest in community-led regeneration was already shaping how Ham Close and its surrounding parade were being thought about. For small, family-run shops like ours, that royal attention helped keep our small high street on the map — and gave us confidence to keep investing in the kitchen, the team, and the standards we hold today.
Eighteen years on the same parade
We opened in 2008. We are still owner-led. The chef behind our signature dishes has been in the kitchen for more than a decade. That continuity is what private households, corporate clients and the local community trust us with — and it is the same continuity the 2014 visit was, in its own way, celebrating across the whole Ham parade.
