Brits a nation of pub quiz buffs, more like quiz cheats!

Almost a third of Brits (28%) admit to having cheated on a pub quiz, new research has revealed. When it comes to quiz tactics, searching for answers on a smartphone is the most common occurrence, followed by asking members of staff for help, and looking at another team’s answers.

Commissioned by pub company and brewer Greene King, the survey of 2,000 Brits marks the launch of ‘Small Change, Big Quiz’ – the biggest ever interactive quiz sponsored by Guinness and Coca-Cola powered by Kwizzbit and Startle technology. The quiz, which will raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support, will be played on TV screens at over 900 pubs nationwide on Sunday 22 October.

With a suggested donation of £3 per person to take part in the Small Change, Big quiz, every player will receive either a free pint of Guinness or regular glass of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke or Schweppes Lemonade.

All money raised through Small Change, Big Quiz will help Macmillan Cancer Support continue to do whatever it takes to support people living with cancer, with Greene King aiming to raise £70,000 for the charity.

As a nation, Brits are pub quiz mad, with 70% of people regularly taking part in them and almost one in ten (8%) attending a pub quiz every single week. In fact, 72% of Brits say a good pub quiz is an integral part of a traditional British pub.

The most important element of any pub quiz is a strong team, and Brits have voted teachers as the most knowledgeable profession to have on the team, taking up 46% of the vote. Journalists came in a close second at 33%, followed by doctors, (31%) and solicitors (16%).

This Sunday, players in Small Change, Big Quiz will play along on their smart phones, testing their knowledge and speed to compete both nationally against each other and against their fellow pub teams. In each participating pub, the winning player will receive a £50 gift card, while on a national level top prizes include a paid holiday to Dublin, as well as premium tickets to an England Men’s or Women’s football fixture at Wembley in 2023/2024.

When it comes to quiz topics, Brits are happiest answering questions on general knowledge (50%), followed by film & TV trivia (31%), and music trivia (29%).

Despite this, Brits often get basic general knowledge questions wrong on a wide range of topics. In terms of geography, one in five don’t know how many countries are in the UK (four), 60% of people get the number of US states wrong (50) and 39% can’t name the capital of Canada (Ottawa).

What’s more, a quarter of Brits (25%) don’t know how many makes up a ‘baker’s dozen’ (13) and nearly seven in ten (67%) think you can see the Great Wall of China from space (you can’t).

Nick Mackenzie, Chief Executive Officer at Greene King said: “To date, our incredible team has raised over £16m for Macmillan Cancer Support, and we’re not stopping there. This quiz is a fantastic coming together of pub teams and customers to raise money for what couldn’t be a more important cause.

“Cancer is something that impacts people from all walks of life, right across the country, so it was important for us to make Small Change, Big Quiz open to as many people as possible, and the response from our pub teams has been incredible. Over 900 pubs are taking part in the quiz, and we’re confident we’re going to raise a fantastic amount of money this weekend.”

Becky Ettinger, Head of Corporate Partnerships at Macmillan said: “We are really excited for Greene King’s biggest ever Small Change, Pub Quiz. Cancer affects so many and it will be amazing to see everyone coming together, up and down the country, raising money for people living with cancer.

“As our long-term partner, Greene King has already raised millions of pounds for Macmillan Cancer Support and we are so grateful for their continued dedication and support. Every pound raised through the interactive quiz will go towards Macmillan nurses and professionals helping us continue to do whatever it takes to support those who need us.”