RNS Number:4320L
Geest PLC
22 May 2003

22 May 2003

                                   GEEST PLC

                   EXTRACTS FROM THE CHAIRMAN'S AGM STATEMENT


At today's Annual General Meeting of Geest PLC, the Chairman, Sir John Banham,
made the following statement:

"Trading in the current year is in line with our expectations, reflecting sound
growth across all our major business streams.  In the UK, our customer-focused
organisation is showing its worth and we have gained business with retailers in
desserts, ready meals and salads. Our new acquisition, Crudi, is operating
profitably under our ownership and we have achieved new business with McDonald's
both in the UK and France.  Collectively, these sales gains will accelerate our
momentum into the second half as they come on stream.

We continue to make progress at our pasta and bread start-ups at Barton where
our bakery business is now profitable and our pasta business is reducing its
losses.  We continue to manage pressures on margins through a range of
activities which enhance both our operating and capital efficiency, underpinning
future returns and improving the strong cash delivery of our business.  This
enhanced capital efficiency will allow us to reduce our capital expenditure for
2004 and 2005 to some #40 million each year.

The Board continues to be confident of the sound underlying growth of the fresh
prepared foods sector.  Given our valuable customer and market positions, our
efficiency programmes and lower start-up costs going forward, we are confident
of our ability to make good returns.  We expect these to be increasingly visible
towards the end of the current year and particularly in 2004."

                                     -Ends-

Enquiries:

Gareth Voyle
Chief Executive Officer
Geest PLC                                           Tel: 01775 761111


Mark Pullen
Group Finance Director
Geest PLC                                           Tel: 01775 761111


Tim Spratt/Michelle Morton                          Tel: 020 7831 3113
Financial Dynamics



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