Holding in Company

Compass Group PLC
11 June 2001

                  DEALINGS BY SUBSTANTIAL SHAREHOLDERS


1)   NAME OF COMPANY

     COMPASS GROUP PLC

2)   NAME OF SHAREHOLDER HAVING A MAJOR INTEREST

     PUTNAM INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LLC
     THE PUTNAM ADVISORY COMPANY, LLC

3)   Please state whether notification indicates that it is in respect of 
     holding of the Shareholder named in 2 above or in respect of a 
     non-beneficial interest or in the case of an individual holder if it is a
     holding of that person's spouse or children under the age of 18

     SEE BELOW

4)   Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the 
     number of shares held by each of them.

     SEE BELOW

5)   Number of shares/amount of stock acquired.

      N/A

6)   ( N/A %) of issued Class

7)   Number of shares/amount of stock disposed

      N/A

8)   ( N/A %) of issued Class

9)   Class of security

      ORDINARY SHARES OF 10 PENCE EACH

10)  Date of transaction

      ON OR BEFORE 06 JUNE 2001

11)  Date company informed

      11 JUNE 2001

12)  Total holding following this notification

      44,807,248
               
              
13)  Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification

     2.02%

14)  Any additional information

      SEE BELOW

15)  Name of contact and telephone number for queries

      ANDREW V DERHAM
      TEL: [phone]

16)  Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for 
     making this notification    ANDREW V DERHAM


     Date of Notification ...11 JUNE 2001...

LETTER TO:  COMPASS GROUP PLC
June 6 2001

          Notification of the Holdings under the EC Directive 88/627
                    on the Disclosure of Interest in Shares 

Putnam Investment Management, LLC and The Putnam Advisory Company, LLC (together
'Putnam') are hereby notifying you of certain holdings of its clients.
Each Putnam entity is an investment advisor registered in the United States
pursuant to the Investment Advisors Act of 1940.

Clients of Putnam hold beneficial interests in 44,807,248 Compass Group PLC
shares representing 2.023% of the Compass Group PLC shares outstanding.
Compass Group PLC shares are held by Putnam's clients for investment purposes
only.

From:  Michael E DeFao (Assistant Vice President)