Holding in Company

Whitbread PLC
8 February 2001



                  DEALINGS BY SUBSTANTIAL SHAREHOLDERS


1)   NAME OF COMPANY

     WHITBREAD PLC

2)   NAME OF SHAREHOLDER HAVING A MAJOR INTEREST

     LEGAL AND GENERAL

3)   Please state whether notification indicates that it is in respect of 
     holding of the Shareholder named in 2 above or in respect of a 
     non-beneficial interest or in the case of an individual holder if it is a
     holding of that person's spouse or children under the age of 18

     AS ABOVE

4)   Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the 
     number of shares held by each of them.

     SEE SCHEDULE BELOW

5)   Number of shares/amount of stock acquired.

     348,154

6)   ( INSIGNIFICANT%) of issued Class

7)   Number of shares/amount of stock disposed



8)   ( N/A %) of issued Class

9)   Class of security

     25p ORDINARY SHARES

10)  Date of transaction

     01 FEBRUARY 2001

11)  Date company informed

     7 FEBRUARY 2001

12)  Total holding following this notification

     14,879,842
               
13)  Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification

     3.03%

14)  Any additional information



15)  Name of contact and telephone number for queries

     Mrs P Townsend - 020 7808 5419 

16)  Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for 
     making this notification

     Date of Notification .....7 FEBRUARY 2001



LETTER TO WHITBREAD PLC

Companies Act 1985 -- Disclosure of Interest in Shares

Consequent upon a purchase in the market of 348,154 shares on the 01 February
2001, we now hold the following number of shares which are not subject to a
concert party and will be registered as follows:

Material Interest
-----------------
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd a/c 886603        1,651,154
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd a/c 775245        2,600,661
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd a/c 361602           19,245
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd a/c 754612          245,013
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd a/c 766793           10,000
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd a/c 252605          506,578
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd a/c 360509          268,725
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd a/c 770286           50,000
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd a/c 866203          366,000
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd a/c 357206        9,162,466
                                                      ----------    -----
                                                      14,879,842    3.03%
                                                      ==========    ====

Please note that this percentage is based on our understanding that your issued
share capital is 490,494,741.

FROM LEGAL AND GENERAL INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT