Farsons, Café Jubilee optimistic about Italian trade prospects

One of the more attractive pavilions at Europe's leading beer show, Pianeta Birra, was a faithful replica of Malta and Gozo's own Café Jubilee. The exhibition is held annually in late February in Rimini, Italy.

This first-ever joint participation of Farsons and Café Jubilee at Pianeta Birra proved to be a resounding success, judging by the great interest shown in both the Farsons beers on display and in the Café Jubilee franchise. Following this event, both Farsons and Café Jubilee are optimistic about their future business prospects in Italy.

Alex Scicluna, co-owner of Café Jubilee, was equally positive about the results achieved through their participation in the event. "Our primary objective was that of promoting the Café Jubilee franchise internationally through our presence at this event which is attended by hundreds of bar, pub and restaurant owners, distributors and importers.

"We've had a lot of enquiries, quite a few of which are serious, and we are extremely pleased with the results achieved at this trade show which confirms that the international prospects for the Café Jubilee franchise in Italy and other markets looks good. It was definitely worth it."

Stephen Sultana, responsible for international business and exports at Simonds Farsons Cisk plc, said: "More than 2,000 visitors approached our stand during the three-day trade show, and the degree of interest shown by the visiting professionals in the beer and beverage trade has exceeded our expectations.

"It's tough, but we managed to double our beer exports to Italy last year and we aim to do the same this year by expanding our market presence in the north of Italy. Our co-participation in Pianeta Birra with Café Jubilee has provided us with the right image and impetus to accelerate this export growth. We're also grateful for the support provided by Malta Enterprise and the Malta Food and Beverage Network at Pianeta Birra."

Based on this year's success, both Farsons and Café Jubilee plan to jointly participate in Pianeta Birra in 2009.