Acquisition

Berkeley Berry Birch PLC
30 July 2003



    For Immediate Release                                       30 July 2003


 Berkeley Berry Birch plc (BBB) acquires insurance broker and employee benefits
                           company for £ 0.67 million



Berkeley Berry Birch plc (BBB), the financial services distribution group, today
announces the acquisition of MacRobins Plc, an insurance broker and employee
benefits company for an initial consideration of £673,077 in cash and shares.


MacRobins specialises in commercial insurance for SME clients and has close
relationships with key composite insurers such as Royal & Sun Alliance, Norwich
Union, AXA and Allianz Cornhill, as well as advising on a range of pension
products and private medical insurance.


The business will be fully integrated into BBB's existing divisional structure.


BBB is acquiring 100% of the share capital of MacRobins Plc for an initial
consideration of £673,077 comprising £350,000 cash and £323,077 of BBB shares.
The number of shares to be issued will be 1,153,846 ordinary shares at 28.0
pence per share. Depending on the share price on the first anniversary of the
transaction, up to a maximum of 1,524,725 additional shares with a maximum value
of £426,923 may be issued.


Commenting on the acquisition, Clifford Lockyer, BBB Group Executive Chairman,
said: 'This continues our current strategy of acquiring profitable businesses
that will help to reinforce our insurance broking and employee benefits offering
as well as expanding our geographical footprint.'


Paul Harrison, Chief Executive Officer of the Insurance Division added: 'This is
a good fit for our business and takes us into the next stage of developing our
proposition as one of the largest independent insurance brokers in the UK.'

                                      
                                      Ends


For further information please contact:


Berkeley Berry Birch plc

Stephen Ingledew, Group Chief Executive                 07774 185 779

Paul Harrison, Chief Executive Insurance Division       07736 061 045


Grandfield

Matthew Jervois/Kristina Blissett                       020 7417 4170


Notes to Editors


Berkeley Berry Birch plc

  * National Financial Services Distribution Group
  * Top Five Independent Financial Advice (IFA) Group.
  * Established since 1964
  * Listed on the London Stock Exchange
  * Eleven major institutional investors
  * Financially one of the strongest IFA groups in the UK
  * Annual turnover of £55 million and more than 750 financial advisers
  * Multi Channel: IFA, employee benefits, insurance broking, trustee services
  * Quality financial services and products for over 100,000 customers.






                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange