About Brum Roulette

Why we built it

Birmingham is packed with pubs and bars that people walk past for years without ever going in. Most of us stick to the same handful of places, not because they're the best, but because deciding is a faff and nobody wants to be the one who picked the dead pub.

So we handed the decision to a wheel. Once a spin picks the pub, there's nothing to argue about, and you end up somewhere you'd never have chosen. That's usually where the best stories start.

There's a bigger reason too. It's easy to spend evenings on the sofa scrolling. Brum Roulette is a nudge to get out instead: meet up with your mates, talk to the people at the next table, and see a bit more of your own city.

A word from the founder

Most nights out run on autopilot. Same mates, same three pubs, same usual pint, same "where next?" until it's too late to go anywhere. I built Brum Roulette to break that loop. Put down the usual pint, spin the wheel and let it send you somewhere you'd never have picked: a back-street boozer, a cocktail bar tucked under a shop, a taproom you've walked past for years.

And it's not all about the pint. There's a wheel for darts, pool, shuffleboard and more, so the night can change direction at any moment. We're a social club with a terrible sense of direction, and that's the whole point.

When my mom and dad, both in their seventies, told me it would get them out of their comfort zone, I knew it wasn't just for students.

Keeping the list honest

A wheel is only as good as the pubs on it, so we keep the list current. Venues are checked against their own websites and listings, a batch every week, and anyone can tap Something wrong with this pub? to tell us about a closure or a change.

Every spin is genuinely random. Pubs can pay for an extra spot on the wheel, and when they do it's marked before you spin. Ratings come only from people who checked in, and they're anonymous.

Backing Birmingham's pubs

Every pub and bar on the wheel gets its own page for free. Pubs that want to stand out can take a featured spot or run an offer of the night, and the money keeps the site free for everyone using it. If you run a pub or bar in the city centre, put your venue on the wheel.

What's coming

Offers from pubs on your result screen, an Offers wheel for nights you fancy a deal, venue matches for the activities wheel, and more details on every pub as our weekly checks fill in opening hours and descriptions. Birmingham is first.

Say hello

Ideas, a pub we've missed, or a story about where the wheel sent you? Use the feedback link at the bottom of any page. Pubs and bars can get in touch through List your venue. For how we handle your data, see the privacy page, and for the full guide to using the site, see how it works.