Apprentice Candidate Takes On Star Pubs’ Prime Site In Stockwell

A candidate in the current Apprentice series, Priyesh Bathia, is one of four partners1 behind the opening of an Anglo-Indian pub in Stockwell 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 and 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 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.