Trendy Notting Hill pub The Pelican isn’t your average London boozer. Locals include celebrities such as singer Dua Lipa, who was recently spotted there. But it still maintains traditional features. Consider the weekly quiz, a staple of pubs across the land.
The Pelican’s quiz is run by actor Seb de Souza (Skins, Normal People, The Great). But don’t expect the usual £1 buy-in. At The Pelican it’s £25 entry, per person (which, in fairness, includes a drink).
Is this a ploy to attract only the most hardcore quizzers in town, or a cunning strategy to keep out the riff-raff? Expectations of the quiz are naturally high when it carries such a price tag, but we heard from a recent winning team who were left a little "disappointed" (and, they felt, "short-changed").
With a team of seven they paid £175 altogether to play. After trouncing the competition with their knowledge of trivia, they collected their grand prize: a £70 bar tab. It seems the house really does always win. But it’s the taking part that counts, right?