Teams let down as Jumbo Quiz goes into liquidation
National pub quiz goes into liquidation due to lack of support
Pub quiz teams across the country were facing disappointment this week after it was revealed that national pub quiz Jumbo Quiz had gone into liquidation.
The company, which only launched the initiative in January this year, claims it failed to get enough support from the pub trade to make the initiative viable.
Only 800 pubs had signed up for the weekly quiz, falling short of the 3,000 the quiz organisers had said they needed to make the initiative profitable.
Prizes included weekend breaks in cities across Europe and a planned grand final in Las Vegas next year. These have now been cancelled.
Tony Bishop, director of Jumbo Quiz, confirmed the matter was in the hands of liquidators from Savilles.
He said: "We failed to pull in sufficient pubs to support the prize structure. We spoke to several large pub companies about taking on Jumbo Quiz and everyone without exception thought it was an excellent concept but it just takes the big operators too long to make a decision."
Mr Bishop said he hoped a buyer would be found for Jumbo Quiz.
This will come as a surprise to many publicans as the quiz had received a good response and was expected to have the support of around 10,000 pubs by the end of this year.
Alan Wedge, licensee of the Bull's Head in Piccadilly, Manchester - a pub with a team that had reached the semi-final of the competition - said he was very annoyed by the news.
"I'm annoyed for the customers more than anything. They have been coming here and playing this game every week," he said.
"It's also come as a huge surprise. I rang the company for the answers to the quiz on Sunday night and I was told to ring the liquidators for more information."
Members of the pub's quiz team Caviat were looking forward to travelling to Portugal on June 22 to compete in the semi-final for the chance to take part in the final in Las Vegas.
Another team, the Bacon Slicers from Wales, had already secured a place in the week-long final but they too have been left disappointed.
Mr Bishop confirmed the trips had been cancelled and said the teams involved would be contacted.
This follows the collapse of similar nationwide pub quiz schemes that have failed to get off the ground in the past.
In 1997, Sky had to cancel its widely-publicised Biggest Pub Quiz Ever due to a lack of demand from publicans (The Publican Newspaper, January 13 1997) although the company claims its latest sports-based quiz venture has been well received.
Related stories:
Pub quiz team USA bound (29 May, 2001)
