Joe and Morag, Publicans of The Crown in Richmond, have stepped down from the trade that they love after 27 years at the helm.
On the 27th of November 1996, Joe, and Morag Mozer first stepped foot into the Richmond pub. No strangers to the hospitality industry, this was their third time running a pub and unknowingly to them, The Crown would see them through to retirement.
Fast forward to 2023, the beloved Publicans have traded their Landlord and Landlady titles to travel the UK and spend much needed quality time with their family and loved ones.
Perfectly in time with their magnificent milestone, Joe and Morag pulled their final pint on the 27th of November 2023, a moment which was filled with bittersweet emotions.
Without intention, the husband-and-wife duo have spent almost half of their lives inside the village local, amassing some of their favourite memories and making lifelong friends.
“Having been in the pub for so long, we’ve not had the chance to holiday or see much of the country, so we wanted to take some time out to travel and be with our loved ones,” said Morag.
“Some of our best memories were at The Crown. I considered our pub as the hub of the community. It’s a lovely village and we served many fantastic locals too – some of whom had supported us since the very beginning.
“But it was time for a change and we’re both excited to be sat the other side of the bar!”
After 27 years of service, Joe and Morag will certainly be leaving behind a legacy at The Crown. Not only have they been fantastic Publicans, but more notably they have been avid fundraisers for their local community and national charities, astonishingly having raised more than £100,000 over the last three decades.
Every August the passionate Publicans held their charity Fun Day and donated much-needed funds to various charities including the British Heart Foundation, MacMillan, Help the Heroes and local hospices such as St Theresa’s.
“Meeting people is what we love most,” said Morag, “That’s what has kept us in the industry for so long. We love people, we enjoy ourselves in the pub and we love a good party too!
“We could never walk away from the village, this is our home, and we’ve got memories that we will cherish forever here, we couldn’t possibly count them on one hand.
“The Millennium was amazing, there were 120 of us celebrating, we’ve witnessed weddings, thrown countless parties and we’ve been a part of people’s lives and milestones – we wouldn’t change that for the world.”
With 27 years under their belt at The Crown, Joe and Morag worked through many industry changes. From the smoking ban in 2007 to the more recent Covid19 adaptations, their passion for hospitality and people has always been the driving force to keeping them afloat.
With the same enthusiasm in 2023, as they had in 1997, their advice to anyone looking to run their own pub is simple; “Look after your locals, because if you look after them then they will look after you.”