Heineken N.V. (AMS:HEIA) Heineken To Integrate Irish Operations And Close B&C Brewery

Heineken N.V. (AMS:HEIA) Amsterdam, 4 December 2008 - Heineken N.V. today announced that it is to close its Beamish & Crawford brewery in Cork in March 2009.

All the company's draught beer operations will now be located at the Murphy brewery site in Cork. The decision follows a review of the recently acquired Beamish & Crawford brewery. The review concluded that a significant investment would be needed for the Beamish & Crawford brewery to meet international standards. This, combined with the difficulty of expansion, excess brewing capacity at Heineken Ireland and the challenging market dynamics, has reinforced the decision to close the Beamish & Crawford brewery.

As a result, approximately 40 roles from Beamish & Crawford will transfer to Heineken Ireland and it is anticipated that 120 personnel will be made redundant. Heineken will provide every means possible to assist departing staff to find new employment elsewhere.

The expected synergies and restructuring costs associated with this decision are included in the synergy and restructuring projection of the GBP 145 million and GBP 95 million before tax respectively for the acquired S&N businesses, as announced by Heineken N.V. on 22 August 2008.

This announcement follows the unconditional approval by the Irish Competition Authority on 3 October 2008, to proceed with the acquisition of Beamish & Crawford by Heineken. Heineken is Ireland's second largest brewer. Its enlarged portfolio includes Heineken, Amstel, Coors Light, Fosters, Miller, Carling, Kronenbourg, Beamish Stout, Murphy's Stout, Beamish Red, Scrumpy Jack and an extensive range of specialty beers.

Press enquiries Véronique Schyns Tel: +31 (0)20 5239 355 veronique.schyns@heineken.com

Investor and analyst enquiries Jan van de Merbel Tel: +31 (0)20 5239 590 investors@heineken.com

Editorial information: Heineken N.V. is the world's most international brewer. The brand that bears the founder's family name - Heineken - is enjoyed in almost every country on the planet and is the world's most valuable international premium beer brand. In 2007, the Company operated 119 breweries in more than 65 countries and sold 139 million hectolitres of beer, making it the largest brewer in Europe and the world's fourth largest by volume. Heineken is committed to the responsible marketing and consumption of more than 170 local and international brands. Through the strategic management of this portfolio, with the emphasis on the Heineken brand and a relentless focus on cost control, the company aims to deliver excellent, sustainable financial performance. In 2007, revenue totalled EUR11.2 billion and Net Profit before exceptional items and amortisation of brands was EUR1.1 billion. In 2007, the average number of people employed was 54,000. Heineken N.V. and Heineken Holding N.V. shares are listed on the Amsterdam stock exchange. Prices for the ordinary shares may be accessed on Bloomberg under the symbols HEIA:NA and HEIO:NA and on the Reuter Equities 2000 Service under HEIN.AS and HEIO.AS. Additional information is available on Heineken's home page: http://www.heinekeninternational.com.

This announcement was originally distributed by Hugin. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



LINK: http://hugin.info/130667/R/1275274/283814.pdf

Heineken N.V.

http://www.heinekeninternational.com

ISIN: NL0000009165

Stock Identifier: XAMS.HEIA