A pub quiz which was forced to stop when the coronavirus outbreak closed the venue it was held in, has gone online and raked in a massive £4000 for a local charity… and it’s not over yet!
The Landlord’s Quiz at the Mosset Tavern was a popular event on Tuesday night, but when the Government announced pubs and restaurants were to close at the end of March, quizmaster Gordon Brailsford, owner of the popular bar, was not deterred.
Gordon said: “I wanted a way to stay in touch with our loyal guests and to relieve the potential boredom of lockdown during these unprecedented times. And if truth be told I really enjoy doing it and would miss hosting it too!”
Social distancing
So the Landlord’s Quiz became the Social Distancing Quiz and now uses Facebook Live to stream the seven rounds of 10 questions to supporters up and down the country.
“We thought it was a perfect way of making some money for charity at a time when it is needed the most. It was supposed to be a one-off event but when we asked the teams that took part whether they wished us to do it again, it was a resounding yes!” said Gordon.
With a following of more than 8000, the Mosset’s live banter on Facebook is a match for the ‘real-world’ event and the affable barman always shares a drink with his ‘punters’. Gordon has even roped in the household to make it a family event, with son Leo (11) and daughter Frankie (7) getting in a couple of rounds (of questions obviously!).
Massive engagement
“The surprise was when we created the event online, the level of engagement from our Facebook fans up and down the country was massive,” he continued.
“It’s always been supported by a band of loyal teams as well as visitors and ‘irregular’ regulars that dip in and out. Most nights we have between 40 and 60 taking part. It’s by no means an easy quiz and covers every topic imaginable. But, it’s always a laugh, usually at my pronunciation of difficult words,” joked Gordon.
“In the three weeks we have hosted the quiz online we have raised more than £4000 for Moray Firth Radio Cash for Kids. We have been assured by the charity manager that the money raised will be spent in the Forres area.”
MFR Cash for Kids responded to the sizable collection by saying: “This is insane and needed so badly right now. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Lockdown
The Mosset Tavern closed to the public on Friday 21 March after Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered pubs restaurants, gyms and cinemas to close, to slow the spread of coronavirus amongst social gatherings. He followed it with a wider ‘lockdown’ after the weekend.
Gordon added: “Being self-employed with 40 staff and a big building to pay for and maintain with no income will really test us. The good news is we have managed to reschedule events such as our Foot-Tapper ale festival, and our lovely brides and grooms have pencilled in future dates.
“What’s been fantastic is the messages of support, phone calls and well wishes. It gives us great encouragement and we look forward to serving our guests again.”
Follow the Mosset Tavern on Facebook to watch, take part and, don’t forget to donate to this much-needed cause.
