Apprentice Candidate Takes On Star Pubs Prime Site In Stockwell

A candidate in the current Apprentice series, Priyesh Bathia, is one of four partners behind the opening of an Anglo-Indian pub in Stockwell in early June. The former Royal Oak in Stockwell, owned by Star Pubs, is being renamed The Elephant & Barrel and is the third in the group. The other two Elephant & Barrel pubs opened in Fulham two years ago and in Felixstowe in 2025.

The pubs all have the ambience of a traditional English pub, with a menu celebrating both British and Indian cuisine, each delivered to an exceptional standard. Rather than fusing the two into a single hybrid menu, The Elephant & Barrel approach honours the integrity of both traditions, reflecting their aim to blend the culture of the British pub with the richness of Indian food.

The Elephant & Barrel concept was founded by Kumar Pillai and Yogesh Datta, with Priyesh Bathia and Karan Datta joining more recently. The partners’ plan is to grow a scalable business with nationwide potential.

The joint £495,000 revamp by Star Pubs and the partners will see the Elephant & Barrel Stockwell transformed into a community hub, with hot drinks in the day for people wanting to work from the pub, and space for local groups and societies to come together. There will be quizzes, live music, and live sports shown inside and outdoors on large HDTV screens.

A major feature at each Elephant & Barrel is a giant Instagrammable robotic elephant, handmade in Kerala. It will be situated outside the front of the Stockwell pub and will be decorated for different occasions. For the World Cup, the elephant will be decorated with an English flag and jersey.

Also outside will be a bar with six beers on tap and a food truck with a rotating menu of dishes, including pizzas, jerk chicken, chicken tikka, and seasonal specials. There will be outdoor seating for 198 at benches and tables, with new high-level seating and festoon lighting.

Inside, the layout is being reconfigured with a new cellar and toilets. The interior is being redecorated throughout, with painted wood panelling and feature wallpaper above, creating a traditional look and feel.

Located near Brixton Brewery, The Elephant & Barrel will stock many of the brewery’s beers and craft ales. Priyesh’s experience running a mobile cocktail business is being tapped into, with a small cocktail menu for drinkers.

Says Priyesh: “The Elephant & Barrel will be family- and dog-friendly, somewhere for the whole community to come together.

“Each Elephant & Barrel pub is a real local, with the added appeal of Indian dishes and a signature animatronic life-sized elephant, which children and adults love.

“We have big plans for the brand long term, but are taking expansion steadily, ensuring each pub is well established before taking on another site. We are also considering developing a franchise option.”

Says Star Pubs regional operations director Dugald Macer: “We’re delighted that Priyesh, Kumar, Yogesh, and Karan are taking on what was The Royal Oak. Their Elephant & Barrel sites in Fulham and Felixstowe have been a great success, and I am confident it will be the same in Stockwell. The menu will provide the best of British and Indian dishes, and there will be a wide selection of premium drinks, including Brixton Brewery favourites. I look forward to being one of the first to take a selfie next to the elephant when The Elephant & Barrel reopens, and to helping the group further with their expansion ambitions.”