Diageo reports €2.3bn profit

Guinness-to-Smirnoff firm Diageo today reported a £2.02bn (€2.3bn) profit despite a “challenging” year in which it shed jobs to cope with the economic downturn.

Diageo, which is the world’s biggest drinks firm, saw its pre-tax profits fall slightly in the full year to June 30, down from £2.09bn (€2.375bn) in 2008.