THE death knell sounded for one of Herefordshire's oldest businesses in 2005 after its fizz "went flat".
Brooks Soft Drinks, which once traded under the name Davies Brook and Co, was a staple of the region since 1876.
Despite decades of growth and a significant relocation, the company entered administration in May 2004, and despite a buy-out being secured, it entered liquidation in December 2005 after efforts to save it fell short.
The business began life as Davies & Co, supplying mineral water from a well located between Coningsby Street and Catherine’s Street in Hereford.
The company later evolved into Davies Brooks & Co following the arrival of partners George Davies, Cecil Kemp, and William Brook.
In 1997, seeking room to expand from its "cramped" city centre site, the company moved to the former Moreton army camp, a site vacated by the Ministry of Defence in 1995.
This move, valued at £3.5 million, doubled production capacity and offered relief from the limitations of the firm’s previous location.
Plans had originally called for a relocation to Holmer Sports Ground, but public opposition led to a change in direction.
Nearly 3,000 residents signed a petition objecting to the scheme, effectively halting the move.
At the turn of the millennium, the business rebranded as Brooks, unveiling a new logo and launching smaller bottle sizes in response to changing consumer trends.
At its peak, the company produced around 70 million two-litre bottles of fizzy drinks each year.
The company also established a bottled water line under the name Brooks Spring Water after drilling a borehole on-site.
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In its early years, the firm supplied ginger beer and other beverages to inns within a 10 to 12-mile radius of Hereford.
Decades of family leadership and investment culminated in a major modernisation push in 1974 under chairman Leighton Phillips.
Despite its long history and once-promising future, financial troubles began to mount in 2004, leading first to administration and, ultimately, to closure in late 2005.
Bosses said at the time of the closure that all options had been "exhausted" to save the factory, which employed 55 workers, and despite excitement that Edinburgh-based marketing company, Charteredbrands had bought half of new owner, John Gore's stake in early 2005, it proved short-lived.
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