A 100-year-old milk delivery business, serving thousands of customers across Buckinghamshire, has driven its final round.

Wren Davis Ltd was founded by its namesake when he moved to Collings Hanger Farm in Prestwood, Great Missenden, in the 1920s and begun selling milk from his two cows.

Going into the 21st century, the Wren Davis team were the fourth generation of the family business, delivering milk from the Cotswolds alongside local yoghurt, honey and baked goods to nearby communities. 

After nearly 100 years in business, however, residents around Bucks were saddened to receive notes alongside their deliveries last week announcing Wren Davis's imminent closure.

The business is listed on Company House as being overdue on its accounts and director Wendy Davis is recorded to have resigned from her role on March 27. 

A note delivered to residents read: “Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, Wren Davis Ltd will be ceasing milk deliveries as of Friday, March 31, 2023. We thank you for your past custom.”

In the Facebook group Lacey Green and Loosley Row, Tim MacGillivray paid tribute to the business, which had provided door-to-door service to the community for decades.

He wrote: "Like many others who have been served by Wren Davis for over 20 years, we feel like a bit of village life has disappeared for good today."

Other residents expressed their sadness about the closure in the High Wycombe (HW) group.

Helen Foster wrote: “Devastated to receive a note from Wren Davis Ltd to say they are stopping milk deliveries. What’s happened?”

Shayla Ventura added: “It’s very sad, we’ve used them for years. It was always a joy to hear the tinkling of the bottles when the milkman made a delivery.”

Emma Jane O’Callaghan suggested the business was ceasing operations due to the financial toll of the cost-of-living crisis.

She wrote: “It’s the extortionate increase in prices of food, gas, electricity, petrol and diesel plus the hike in mortgage rates that have taken their toll. It was the reason we had to cancel our deliveries recently – we just couldn’t justify the cost anymore and have had to rein in our weekly food spend because we don’t have any control over the rest.

“It was a really heart-breaking decision as we switched to milk deliveries for ethical reasons, because it’s better for the environment to reduce the use of plastic.”

Tim Griffiths also shared his memories of the company and his regret about its demise.

He said: "In the 1970s, Wren Davis were a very large local employer, with over 100 people working for them. Things have declined since then with fewer people taking doorstep deliveries and then Covid reducing deliveries from daily to three times a week.

"100 years of service to the local community by a family business is ending with no ceremony and what seems like a snap of the fingers."

Prior to its closure, Wren Davis had employed 30 local people and at one point delivered to almost 4,000 households and businesses.