In the last year, Simonds Farsons Cisk has stepped up its efforts to penetrate the UK market. With a new business development team in place, the company remains bullish about its prospects and recently featured prominently in the Brewers Guardian, a leading international brewing magazine as part of its strategy to create greater international awareness of its brands.

Interviewed by Adrian Tierney Jones, secretary of the British Guild of Beer Writers, Farsons' group chief executive Louis Farrugia stated, 'When we look at the post-EU entry period, there have not been many Maltese brands that have survived the onslaught of imported goods. We have always been in favour of freer trade as it helps you improve quality. It also has an important effect on the workforce, it makes them realise that if we don't have the right quality, we just won't sell. I would say that entering the EU has helped Malta's image and had a knock-on effect on its products.’

'We want to build up the business in the UK and elsewhere,' said Stephen Sultana who leads the International Business Development team. 'We have a good story to tell. It’s unusual to find a brewery in the Mediterranean with a mixture of Germanic and English brewing heritage.'

With a newly appointed UK based facilitator responsible for organising imports, marketing and sales, the prospects of increasing sales remain tangible. 'I'm here to supply people's request for Cisk, Hopleaf and Lacto Milk Stout,’ says John Roblings, the UK agent for Simonds Farsons Cisk. 'Malta has a lot of British tourists who remember the brands and want to try them at home.'

Over the course of the past year, Farsons' products have been exported to Italy, Germany, Sweden, Australia and are now also available for the first time on the US and Libyan market. As from this month, Farsons are also sending the first Cisk exports to Australia where they already bottle Kinnie under franchise.

For more information on where Farsons' products are available in the UK kindly visit www.farsons.com/uk.

For more information on where Farsons' products are available worldwide please contact exports@farsons.com.