Puurs, 31st January 2003 - Consolidated sales of the Belgian brewing group Duvel Moortgat NV will rise by more than 12% in the 2002 financial year, to at least 57.5 million euros, compared with 51.6 million the previous financial year, the company reported.

Among other things, the optimisation of distribution and sales structures in priority countries has, as predicted, delivered results and laid the foundations for further growth.

Sales per brand Sales volumes of the group's main beer brands rose significantly compared to the previous financial year: globally, sales of Duvel rose by 8%, which meant that during the 2002 financial year the group sold a total of 2,836,689 crates or 68,080,536 bottles of Duvel.

Sales volumes of Bernard beers rose by 15% in the first year after the Czech brewery was acquired. Sales per market On the Belgian market, sales volumes of Duvel Moortgat NV rose by 7.8%. This slowdown is the result of a number of price increases in the on-trade, brought about by the introduction of the euro as well as due to the increase of the excisetaxes in 2002. In France, the efforts of the previous financial year have borne fruit: sales volumes there rose by 11.6%.

The strategic choice to partly expand Bernard's market position in the premium beers segment with communication and distribution has therefore clearly borne fruit.

04 February, 2003