Kinnie, Malta's best known soft drink, has gone on sale on trial basis in almost 100 outlets in London's West End.

A spokesman for Farsons said that Kinnie was soft launched this summer in the UK capital and so far the reaction from the trade and consumers alike was encouraging.

This is the first time that Kinnie and its sister brands Diet Kinnie and Kinnie Zest, are being sold directly to consumers in London.

The launch of Kinnie in the UK is being implemented in partnership with Kinnie UK Ltd, a company owned by Messrs Anthony and Richard Traviss, well established restaurateurs, pub and club owners in London.

Michael Farrugia, Business Development Manager who is responsible for the project said that the introduction of Kinnie into a highly competitive market presented a significant challenge.

"We're competing against internationally renowned brands which dominate the market so our launch strategy is essentially a focused niche-based regional one, concentrated within London's west end. Kinnie is being presented as an alternative soft drink that offers young adults positive taste and refreshment. So far, Kinnie has been well received and if the indicators are right we'll gradually intensify our efforts within London over the next 18 months with the longer term view of widening our distribution and penetration into other geographic areas in the UK. It's a tough challenge though we are cautiously optimistic."