A spokesperson for Simonds Farsons Cisk plc, Malta’s largest beer, non-alcoholic beverage and soft drink producers and exporters have set their eyes on the Gulf and during the next 18 months intend to aggressively pursue sales and joint venture opportunities for their premium products in all GCC states, starting with the United Arab Emirates.
In addition to extensive beverage production facilities, the Farsons Group (www.farsons.com) are involved in other activities including the importation of wines and spirits, importation and distribution of foodstuffs, and fast food franchising, among others. It also has a production facility in Italy and its proprietary soft drink, internationally branded as “Kinnie” has been successfully produced under license in several countries, including Australia.
When asked what the Farsons Group can bring to the Gulf, the company’s Director for International Business, Stephen Sultana said that “Farsons brings with it a brand heritage that goes back to the 1920’s when the company was first established. Many of our most successful brands in both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage sectors have been on the market and hugely successful for well over 50 years. And for such brands to have survived the test of time in the ever changing FMCG business, it has to say something about the uniqueness and inherent quality typical of Farsons products”.
With regards to its specific plans for 2006-2007, the company aims to introduce its range of award winning premium beers (lagers, ales and other specialities) in the UAE, while using their presence there as a platform for the export of their products to adjacent markets where the importation and consumption of alcoholic beverages is permitted. Conscious of the relatively modest size of the alcoholic beverage market in the Gulf, Mr. Sultana said that the company’s expectations are in line with the market size. He added that “by international standards, Farsons is a mid-sized brewery and the beers we produce are typically aimed at the higher end of the market rather than the largely price driven mass market. Clearly, in the UAE we do not aim to attain the same volumes we export to our main European export markets like Italy, but this suits us just fine.”
The Farsons Group is also keen to form partnerships with Gulf beverage producers and distributors to bottle and market their unique, award winning, non-alcoholic drink known as “Kinnie” in the UAE in order to better cater for the requirements of the market and to tap into the regional export possibilities that a direct presence in the UAE would give them. “Kinnie” is a rather special, all natural, bitter-sweet sparkling non-alcoholic soft drink made from a secret blend of Mediterranean oranges and aromatic herbs that goes back well over 50 years. “There’s nothing quite like it on the market. It’s in a class of its own, since it is neither a cola, nor a lemonade, nor is it an orange drink but something refreshingly different. One taste of “Kinnie” and you’re hooked” says Stephen Sultana “but then again, I have to say that since its my favourite drink as well!”, he added.
