Smart Pints & Good Times: Why Bridgwater’s Pub Quizzes Are Booming
Aimed to stamp out cheating with phones, this quiz gets more and more popular!
There’s a quiet, brainy revolution happening across our town’s pub scene, and it involves good friends, cold drinks, and quietly arguing over who wrote that one 80s hit. While many pubs traditionally kept trivia to a sleepy once-a-month slot, the demand in Bridgwater is growing so fast you could practically test your brain cells every single night of the week.
A massive shout-out has to go to Chris and his SpeedQuizzing nights. What started as a lively Thursday tradition at the Cornhill—which routinely draws an incredible 20 to 30 teams chasing a £500 jackpot—has now expanded. Responding to popular demand, Chris launched a second weekly option on Tuesdays: starting and ending earlier with no music round for those who prefer a slightly lower decibel level. It pulled in 12 teams on night one, proving it’s nice to have options (and yes, some of us fully intend to play both Tuesday and Thursday!).
Chris is also hosting Wednesdays at The Old Vicarage, and he just announced a new Saturday night quiz at the Admiral’s Table in Dunball—ideal if you want a change of scenery just outside the main town centre.
Personal history plays a big part in this scene, too. My team used to be regulars at the monthly quiz at The Cottage in Wembdon with Roger as quizmaster. It was packed to the rafters every single time until it stopped a few months back, forcing us to decamp to Roger's other monthly gig at the West India House. If you're planning to go on the last Monday of the month, book early—the place gets packed, and the prize money is well worth getting competitive over!
I know other venues across town are developing their own nights, too. If you ever need a recommendation, you only have to ask our friendly local rivals like Alex and Audrey—local quizzing stalwarts who even took their talents onto BBC One’s Pointless!
It wasn't always this seamless; years ago, The Carnival Inn (our local Wetherspoons) ran a great Sunday night quiz before it abruptly stopped. Given Tim Martin's strict opinions on pub music and noise levels, a quiet, low-key paper quiz feels like it would fit right in. Wouldn't it be brilliant to see it return?
Ultimately, having such a thriving, variety-filled quiz scene is a huge asset that plenty of neighbouring towns would envy. It brings people together, keeps local pubs buzzing, and occasionally pays for your round. That’s proper civic pride in action.
