Further re IBM Contract Renewal

Compass Group PLC
7 March 2000

                        DETAILS OF IBM CONTRACT RENEWAL
                                       
                                       
Further to its announcement of 6 March 2000 Compass Group PLC is pleased to
provide further details of its contract renewal with IBM for North America.

Gary Green, Chief Executive, Compass Group PLC, North America said: 'This is
the largest contract renewal that Compass Group has ever signed and is worth
more than $2 billion over 30 years.'

Compass Group was awarded the contract for all IBM sites in North America in
1995.  At the time, it was the largest contract in the USA industry's history
with operations at more than 34 sites.

The contract now is for operations at 64 sites, serving more than 100,000 IBM
employees in dining rooms, customer briefing centers, sundry shops, executive
dining facilities and vending.

As part of the renewal, Compass Group will renovate a number of facilities and
install Compass Group brands such as Profiles in Good Taste and Market
Central.  National brands, such as Pizza Hut, Burger King and Sbarro, also
will be available at some sites.

When the contract was first awarded, Compass Group created an IBM specific
management team.  That team will continue to oversee quality standards for all
IBM sites in the US.


Enquiries:
     
     Cathi Lawrence
     Corporate Communications Director, Compass Group  [phone]
          
     Nick Lyon/Wendy Baker, Hudson Sandler             [phone]
     
Note:
Compass Group is the largest foodservice group in the world, with over 190,000
employees providing catering for clients including major employers,
educational establishments, hospitals, leisure venues, retail locations and at
major airports and stations throughout USA, Europe, Scandinavia and developing
markets in Asia and South America.  It operates through sector-specific
subsidiaries such as Eurest, the world's largest specialist in providing
foodservice to business and industry clients.  The Group has increased
turnover to over £4.8bn and now operates in over 70 countries world-wide.