Corona

Corona was a Welsh carbonated-soft-drink brand associated with Thomas & Evans Ltd, a company established by Welsh grocers William Thomas and William Evans. The business emerged in South Wales during a period when the temperance movement was encouraging demand for non-alcoholic alternatives to beer and other alcoholic drinks. Its early operations combined mineral water, ginger beer and flavoured soft drinks with a distinctive delivery model that took bottled beverages directly to households. The founders' first major manufacturing site was the Welsh Hills Mineral Water Factory in Porth in the Rhondda Valley. The plant used industrial bottling equipment and systems for cleaning and reusing returned glass bottles. Early products were sold under the Thomas & Evans Welsh Hills name and included mineral water and ginger beer. When attempts to establish the drinks in public houses proved unsuccessful, the company shifted toward door-to-door distribution using horse-drawn wagons. This approach helped it build a broad customer base in the South Wales valleys and supported expansion into flavours such as orangeade, dandelion and burdock, raspberryade and lemonade. During the early 1920s, the company adopted the Corona name. The word refers to a crown in Latin, and the brand's identity used a fan of seven wire-topped bottles to suggest a crown above the name. Corona became one of the most recognizable soft-drink brands in Wales. Its distribution network eventually extended throughout Britain, reaching a peak of approximately 82 depots and five factories, including sites at Porth, Tredegar, Pengam, Maesteg and Bridgend. By the 1930s, the company's delivery fleet had shifted from horse-drawn wagons to motor vehicles with prominent red-and-gold branding. The Porth operation also maintained an engineering workshop for servicing its vehicles. Thomas & Evans continued to grow before and after the Second World War. The company produced very large volumes in the late 1930s, although wartime vehicle requisitions and fuel rationing temporarily forced a return to horse-drawn deliveries. After 1945, motorized distribution resumed. In 1950, the business introduced Tango, another soft-drink brand that later became independent of Corona's identity and continued under subsequent ownership. The Beecham Group acquired the company in 1958 and retained Corona as a brand. Under Beecham, production remained concentrated in South Wales while the depot network expanded across the United Kingdom. Television advertising, including campaigns featuring singer and comedian Dave King, helped introduce Corona to a wider national audience during the 1960s. However, the growth of supermarkets and changing shopping habits reduced the importance of traditional doorstep delivery during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1987, Corona came under Britannia Soft Drinks, the business associated with Britvic. The Porth factory closed that year and production moved to Bolton in Lancashire. The brand continued for a further period but ceased trading as a brand in the late 1990s. The former Porth factory was later converted into The Pop Factory recording studio in 2000, leaving the building as a surviving reminder of Corona's industrial and cultural history.

Corona's history began with the partnership of William Thomas and William Evans, two Welsh grocers whose retail activities developed into soft-drink manufacturing. Thomas had established himself as a butcher and shopkeeper in South Wales before becoming involved in grocery trading. Evans joined the business in the 1880s, and the partners later entered the non-alcoholic beverage market. Their decision was influenced by the growth of the temperance movement and by the perceived opportunity for drinks that could be consumed in settings traditionally associated with alcohol. The partners established the Welsh Hills Mineral Water Factory at Porth in the Rhondda Valley during the 1890s. The factory produced mineral water and ginger beer and used contemporary bottling technology, including returnable glass bottles. Bottles were cleaned and reused after customers returned them in exchange for a small deposit. Early sales under the Thomas & Evans Welsh Hills Soft Drinks name were aimed partly at public houses, but this route did not deliver the expected results. The company subsequently adopted direct household delivery, with salesmen using horse-drawn wagons to distribute drinks through the South Wales valleys. Direct delivery proved effective and encouraged a wider flavour range. In addition to mineral water and ginger beer, the company sold orangeade, dandelion and burdock, raspberryade and lemonade. By the turn of the twentieth century, the business had more than 200 salesmen and used horse-drawn wagons as well as steam-powered vehicles. This distribution infrastructure allowed the company to build a strong regional presence before modern supermarket retailing became dominant. In the early 1920s, William Evans selected Corona as the company's new brand name. The name was derived from the Latin word for crown, and the visual identity featured seven wire-topped bottles arranged in a crown-like fan. The rebranding coincided with wider expansion. Corona became particularly prominent in Wales and eventually operated through approximately 82 distribution depots and five factories. The principal manufacturing and distribution sites included Porth, Tredegar, Pengam, Maesteg and Bridgend. The delivery system was modernized during the 1930s. Horse-drawn wagons were progressively replaced by motor vehicles painted in red and gold and marked with the Corona logo. The Porth depot reportedly operated dozens of vehicles in 1934 and around 200 three years later. The company also had its own engineering facilities for maintaining the fleet. After William Evans died in 1934, his brother Frank Evans became chairman and managing director, overseeing continued growth through the end of the decade. The Welsh factories were producing approximately 170 million bottles annually by that period. The Second World War disrupted the company's logistics. Government requisitioning of vehicles and petrol rationing made motor distribution difficult, resulting in a temporary return to horse-and-wagon deliveries. After the war, the company restored motorized distribution and resumed full production. In 1950 it launched Tango, a separate soft-drink brand that later became a notable product in its own right. Beecham Group acquired Thomas & Evans in 1958 and continued to market Corona. Production remained centered in South Wales, but the brand's depot network expanded around the United Kingdom. National advertising, including television commercials featuring Dave King during the 1960s, helped the brand reach beyond its Welsh base. Corona's traditional doorstep model nevertheless came under pressure as supermarkets grew and consumers increasingly purchased beverages during regular grocery trips. The company's well-known 1970s advertising slogan, “Every bubble's passed its FIZZical!”, reflected an effort to keep the brand distinctive in a more competitive retail environment. In 1987, ownership transferred to Britannia Soft Drinks, the parent business associated with Britvic. The Porth factory was closed in the same year and manufacturing was relocated to Bolton in Lancashire. Corona ultimately stopped trading as a brand in the late 1990s. The Porth factory was later reused as The Pop Factory recording studio, and its later cultural use has helped preserve the site's connection with the brand and with the industrial history of the Rhondda Valley.

1. 2000Porth factory is converted into a recording studio

   The former Corona factory became The Pop Factory music recording studio.

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2. 1990Corona ceases trading

   The brand stopped trading during the late 1990s.

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3. 1987Ownership changes to Britannia Soft Drinks

   Corona moved to Britannia Soft Drinks, and production was transferred from the closed Porth factory to Bolton.

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4. 1958Beecham Group acquires the company

   Beecham Group purchased the business and retained Corona as a product brand.

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5. 1950Tango is launched

   Thomas & Evans introduced Tango, a related soft-drink brand that continued under later ownership.

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6. 1934Frank Evans assumes leadership

   After William Evans's death, Frank Evans became chairman and managing director.

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7. 1930Motorized delivery replaces horse-drawn distribution

   The company began replacing its horse-and-wagon fleet with branded motor vehicles, although horses returned temporarily during wartime fuel restrictions.

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8. 1920Corona name and identity are introduced

   The business adopted the Corona name and a crown-like logo formed from seven bottles.

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9. 1890Welsh Hills Mineral Water Factory opens at Porth

   The company's principal early factory opened in Porth in the Rhondda Valley, producing mineral water and ginger beer with returnable glass bottles.

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10. Thomas & Evans enters soft drinks

    William Thomas and William Evans expanded from grocery retailing into the manufacture and distribution of non-alcoholic beverages in South Wales.

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A regional Welsh soft-drink brand built around flavoured carbonated beverages, returnable glass bottles and doorstep delivery, later repositioned as a nationally distributed British soft-drink brand.

• Corona mineral waterMineral water

  One of the earliest products made by Thomas & Evans at the Welsh Hills Mineral Water Factory. It formed part of the company's initial attempt to establish a non-alcoholic beverage business and was distributed in reusable returnable glass bottles.

• Corona ginger beerCarbonated soft drink

  An early Thomas & Evans beverage produced alongside mineral water. Ginger beer helped the company enter the soft-drinks market, although the business later broadened its range to more child-oriented flavoured drinks.

• Corona orangeadeFlavoured carbonated soft drink

  A citrus-flavoured drink sold through Corona's regional and national delivery network. Orangeade was part of the broader range that helped the company move beyond mineral water and ginger beer.

• Corona dandelion and burdockFlavoured carbonated soft drink

  A traditional British-style flavoured soft drink included in Corona's expanding range during its development in South Wales.

• Corona raspberryadeFlavoured carbonated soft drink

  A raspberry-flavoured beverage distributed as part of Corona's household soft-drink assortment.

• Corona lemonadeFlavoured carbonated soft drink

  A lemon-flavoured carbonated drink sold through the brand's doorstep and depot-based distribution system.

• 1970Every bubble's passed its FIZZical!

  United Kingdom

  Corona used the slogan “Every bubble's passed its FIZZical!” in one of its best-remembered advertising campaigns.

  Outcome. The slogan became associated with the brand during the period when supermarket shopping was weakening traditional doorstep delivery.

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• 1960Dave King television advertisements

  United Kingdom

  During the 1960s, Corona used television advertisements featuring British singer and comedian Dave King to broaden awareness beyond its Welsh regional base.

  Outcome. The campaign supported Corona's national distribution and helped introduce the brand to a wider British audience.

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• 1987Close the Porth factory and transfer productionStrategy

  Britannia Soft Drinks acquired the business during a period of consolidation and changing retail patterns.

  What changed. The Porth factory was closed and Corona production was moved to Bolton in Lancashire.

  Aftermath. Manufacturing left the brand's historic South Wales site, and Corona eventually ceased trading as a brand in the late 1990s.

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• 1958Beecham Group acquisitionM&A

  Thomas & Evans had developed Corona into a substantial regional and national soft-drink business.

  What changed. Beecham Group acquired the company and retained the Corona brand.

  Aftermath. Corona continued operating under new ownership, with production centered in South Wales and distribution expanded through United Kingdom depots.

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• 1930Modernize the delivery fleetStrategy

  The company's horse-drawn distribution system was becoming less suitable for a larger geographic network.

  What changed. Corona replaced horse-drawn wagons with branded motor vehicles, supported by an engineering workshop at Porth.

  Aftermath. The motor fleet expanded substantially, although wartime vehicle requisitions and fuel rationing later caused a temporary return to horse-drawn deliveries.

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• 1920Rebrand the soft-drink range as CoronaStrategy

  Thomas & Evans sought a more distinctive identity for its growing range of bottled soft drinks.

  What changed. The company adopted the Corona name and introduced a logo depicting seven bottles arranged like a crown.

  Aftermath. Corona became the company's principal consumer-facing brand and expanded across Wales and Britain.

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• 2000Former Porth Corona factory becomes The Pop Factory

  The former Corona manufacturing site in Porth was converted into a music recording studio known as The Pop Factory.

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• 1987Corona production moves from Porth to Bolton

  Following the acquisition of the business by Britannia Soft Drinks, the Porth factory was closed and production was transferred to Bolton in Lancashire.

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• Thomas & Evans expands its Welsh soft-drink distribution network

  The company developed a large delivery and depot network across Wales and later Britain, helping Corona become a familiar household brand.

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1. Corona (soft drink)