Tap Handle #872: Elephant & Castle (v1)

2/18/2026 05:29:00 PM

Tap Handle #872: Elephant & Castle (v1)

Tap size: 10.5"

Rarity: 10 or less seen, tap no longer produced

Mounting: 3/8" ferrule on 5/16" anchor bolt

Here's a tap you won't see many of. This early Elephant & Castle tap is what I call version 1; a second, different version was created later during the FranWorks ownership period. This version 1 tap dates back to the early 2000's, during its original ownership period, and the reason it is so hard to find is that less than 10 were produced. The tap has also been retired for a long time. I couldn't find any information on it that associates it with a house beer for the pub chain, but that is the most likely scenario since not many were made. It features an elephant standing on a white base with a castle turret on blanket on the elephant's back. The castle turret is red and resembles a rook chess piece; the blanket is also red with white trime, a strap that goes under the elephant's belly, and black heraldic crosses on the top of it. Below that, on both the front and back of the base, the name of the pub chain is carved in raised black letters. Being an early resin tap, it does suffer from the infamous shrinking resin/bubbling paint issue; fortunately, mine does not have any paint peeling...yet. Besides this one that I own, I've only seen 1 other, which was listed on the secondary market way back in 2009; that tap sold for around $55. I would estimate the current value to be in the $125-$150 range, or possibly even more to a collector who values scarce taps, or likes elephants.

Elephant & Castle Pub and Restaurant was founded by George Schwartz in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1977. The chain takes its name from the Elephant and Castle district in south London, England, which itself was named after a historic coaching inn at a major crossroads. The restaurants operate as English pub-style establishments. The chain grew steadily through the 1980s and 1990s, eventually expanding into the United States with locations in major cities. At its peak, Elephant & Castle was a public company that operated 21 establishments across both Canada and the U.S., with system-wide sales exceeding $50 million USD. However, the company struggled in the 2000s following a series of ill-advised business moves, including launching Alamo Grill-branded steakhouses and a joint-venture partnership in the failed family-themed Rainforest Café restaurants.

In April 2007, Newfoundland-based Repechage Investments Ltd. acquired all shares of Elephant & Castle. The chain continued to struggle through the recession, eventually defaulting on its loans. On June 28, 2011, Elephant & Castle Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. At that time, the Boston-based company owed more than $16 million to its lender, GE Canada Equipment Financing. In February 2012, Calgary-based FranWorks Group of Companies acquired the 19-restaurant chain for $22.75 million, returning Elephant & Castle to Canadian ownership. FranWorks, founded in 2000 by Derek Doke, had built its business on the Original Joe's Restaurant and Bar chain, which had grown to 47 outlets. The acquisition marked FranWorks' first entry into the American market. In 2016, Recipe Unlimited (formerly Cara Operations Limited) acquired a majority ownership interest in FranWorks, including the Elephant & Castle brand.

Today, Elephant & Castle operates 8 locations in both Canada and the United States. Canadian locations include Calgary, Toronto, and Winnipeg, while U.S. locations include Boston's Financial District, Chicago, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. The chain previously had locations in Edmonton, Vancouver, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. Beer offerings consist of local brands and high profile imports such as Stella Artois and Newcastle. While food offerings can vary by location, most locations have standard pub food such as burgers, chicken strips, tacos and fish and chips. Some locations offer British pub food not typically seen in American pubs, like butter chicken, meat pies, bangers and mash, and roast with Yorkshire pudding, while Canadian locations also have poutine. There are also seasonal dishes such as braised lamb shank and Scotch egg. Most locations do offer event hosting for large groups.

Editor's Note: A separate, unrelated restaurant called Elephant & Castle NYC operated in Greenwich Village, New York from 1973 until its closure in August 2025. That establishment was independently owned and not affiliated with the FranWorks chain.