Sir John Banham to Become Chairman

Whitbread PLC
17 November 1999

SIR JOHN BANHAM TO BECOME CHAIRMAN OF WHITBREAD

Sir John Banham will succeed Sir Michael Angus as Chairman of Whitbread PLC
following the AGM next year.  He joined the company's board as a non-executive
director on November 17.

Currently Chairman of Kingfisher and Tarmac, Sir John was a director of McKinsey
and Co before becoming the first Controller of the Audit Commission in 1983 and
Director-General of the CBI in 1987.

Sir Michael Angus who has been Chairman since 1992, said:'I am delighted that
John Banham has agreed to join the board and to become Chairman.  John's
experience of both the public and private sectors, coupled with his first hand
knowledge of retailing, makes him ideally suited for the role.'

Whitbread Plc is the UK's leading leisure company, and runs the country's
largest restaurant business.  It owns and operates some of the country's most
popular pubs, restaurants, hotels and active leisure clubs, as well as marketing
some of the UK's most famous beer brands.  Whitbread employs over 98,000 people
nationwide and has a turnover of £3.4bn.  The company's aim is to create brands
which customers appreciate and enjoy, and which have the potential to become
leaders in their markets - prime examples include Travel Inn, David Lloyd
Leisure and Costa.

For further information contact:

City:
David Reed        Tel:  [phone]
Harriet Brodrick  Tel:  [phone]

Media:
Lesly Hughes      Tel:  [phone]
Jeremy Probert    Tel:  [phone]