Sale of Costa - China clearance

Sale of Costa to Coca-Cola receives approval from China regulator

Whitbread PLC is pleased to announce that clearance has been received from China's State Administration for Market Regulation for The Coca-Cola Company to acquire Costa Limited, including its operations in China.

Clearance is still required from the European Union under the EC Merger Regulation before the transaction can complete and certain completion deliverables remain outstanding including an agreement still to be reached with the Trustees of the pension fund.

This announcement contains inside information.

For more information please contact:

Investor queries

Matt Johnson, Whitbread PLC | [email protected] | +44 (0) 7848 146 761

Ann Hyams, Whitbread PLC | [email protected] | +44 (0) 7796 709 087

Media queries

Anna Glover, Whitbread PLC | +44 (0) 7768 917 651

David Allchurch / Jessica Reid, Tulchan Communications | +44 (0) 20 7353 4200

For photographs and video please visit Whitbread's media library at www.whitbread.co.uk/media.

Goldman Sachs International ("Goldman Sachs") and Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc ("Morgan Stanley") are acting as joint financial advisers and joint sponsors to Whitbread. Deutsche Bank AG, acting through its London branch ("Deutsche Bank") is acting as financial adviser to Whitbread. Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank are acting as corporate brokers to Whitbread. Slaughter and May is acting as legal adviser to Whitbread.