An Aberdeenshire pub and restaurant has been dubbed Grampian’s “lucky charm” after two employees won prizes worth £25,000.
Emily Gill from Stoneywood was working her weekly Friday night barmaid shift at Beekies Neuk in Newmachar when she became the latest winner in the Bounty Competitions.
The 24-year-old said “her jaw hit the floor” when she received the life-altering phone call, informing her she had won a sum of £15,000.
Her lucky streak came just five days before fellow colleague Fiona Bisset secured a £10,000 prize.
‘I thought it was a joke’
Miss Gill, who works as a full-time beauty therapist, said: “I thought it was a dodgy number and I turned to my boss and asked, ‘should I avoid that?’.
“I answered and I recognised her voice. She said she was from Bounty. My jaw just hit the floor. My hands were shaking, and I couldn’t talk. It is quite funny looking back.
“I thought it was a joke; one of my mates had stitched me up or something.”
She added: “The first thing I wanted to do was phone my boyfriend and my mum, but nobody was answering. It was my aunt that picked up first. I just wanted to tell everyone.
“I bought every one that was in the bar a drink but because I was working, I then had to pour them all and hand them all out.”
Since its launch in April 2020, Bounty Competitions has given out prizes, including holiday homes and fancy cars, and donated thousands of pounds to charity.
Miss Gill has been entering Bounty Competitions since the Covid pandemic, and so was delighted when her lucky moment finally came.
Miss Gill has recently bought a flat in the city’s Stoneywood area.
She said the money will go a long way in helping her make her new house a home.
“I bought a flat in April and moved out and bills were a bit of a reality check,” Miss Gill said.
“It couldn’t have come at a better time.”
Bounty Competition winners in Aberdeens
Miss Gill was one of two employees to strike lucky in the latest Bounty Competition draws in that same week.
Fiona Bisset from Tarves was shocked to discover her name had been chosen in the latest prize draw, earning her a £10,000 prize.
She was working as a restaurant manager at Beekies Neuk when the call came in.
To celebrate the milestone occasion, the 44-year-old bought a round of drinks for her colleagues in the bar.
She said: “Emily won £15,000 on Friday night and my phone rang on Wednesday.
“It felt so unreal five days later and being in the same place working and they phoned me as well.
“You don’t expect it, especially when a colleague that you work with has won that week
“All the boys in the bar think Beekies had a lucky charm that week.”
Ms Bisset added: “It’s still sinking in. You look at it in your bank balance and think wow.
”I have entered a few other bits and pieces and never won. It’s just unreal.”