Circ re. Share Repurchases

Whitbread PLC
02 November 2007



Whitbread PLC
2 November 2007

          Share buyback authority - publishing of shareholder circular

Whitbread PLC ('Whitbread') announces that it is today publishing a circular
seeking the approval of its ordinary shareholders to the renewal of its share
repurchase authority.

On 24 April 2007 the Company announced that, following a review of the Group's
balance sheet, it would be appropriate to increase the level of leverage in the
business and that this would be achieved through the issue of bonds secured on
the hotel and restaurant assets.  It was further announced on 16 October 2007
that the work on the bond issue had largely been completed but, given the state
of the debt market, the timing and appropriateness of any issue was unclear.

In the meantime, given the Company's commitment to increasing the leverage of
the Group, as an alternative the Company has been using its current debt
facilities to conduct a share repurchase programme in accordance with its
existing shareholder authority, which allows repurchases of up to 10% of the
Company's issued ordinary shares.  As at 30 October 2007, Whitbread had
purchased 11,819,876 ordinary shares representing approximately 5.96% of its
issued ordinary shares at an aggregate cost of £193.97m.

The Whitbread Board believes that it is appropriate that it renews the authority
to buy back shares and that it is desirable to retain flexibility to continue
the repurchase programme once its existing shareholder authority has been fully
utilised.  The circular therefore convenes a general meeting on 27 November 2007
at which a resolution will be proposed to authorise Whitbread to make
repurchases of up to an additional 10% of its ordinary shares.

Full details of the share buyback authority are contained in the circular.

Two copies of the circular together with the notice of and form of proxy for the
general meeting are being submitted to the Financial Services Authority and will
be available for inspection at the Document Viewing Facility which is situated
at:

The Financial Services Authority
25 The North Colonnade
Canary Wharf
London E14 5HS

Copies of these documents are available on request from Whitbread's registered
office at Whitbread Court, Houghton Hall Business Park, Porz Avenue Dunstable,
Bedfordshire LU5 5XE.  They will also be available on the 'Investors' page of
Whitbread's website at www.whitbread.co.uk/investors/.

For further information:

Daren Lowry
Assistant Company Secretary
Tel:  [phone]





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