Total boardroom pay at brewing giant Scottish & Newcastle leapt 22% in a year in which strong international growth helped boost profits to £452m, the Edinburgh-based company's annual report revealed yesterday.

Earlier this year, S&N said it was considering more job cuts after announcing a further £50m of planned cost savings over the next three years.

Top earner Tony Froggatt, S&N's Australian-born chief executive, received a pay packet worth £1.7m last year - including a basic salary of £775,000, a performance-related bonus of £575,050, cash benefits of £310,000 and "benefits in kind" worth £8637 - up from £1.4m the year before.

According to the annual report, the benefits in kind include a "beer, wine and spirits" allowance.

Ian McHoul, the company's finance director, who also received benefits in kind - as did all four members of the executive board - saw his total pay rise to £861,519, compared with £646,722 the previous year.

John Nicolson, the head of the company's international divisions, and John Dunsmore, head of UK operations, both also enjoyed substantial rises to £909,592 and £806,519 respectively.

Sir Brian Stewart, S&N's chairman - who is also chairman of insurer Standard Life - was the company's highest- paid non-executive member of the board, and reaped £348,682 last year, compared with £338,868.

Stewart was also the only non-executive director to receive benefits in kind, which came to £28,682.

Notes in the annual report record non-executive director Angus Grossart, whose remuneration last year rose to £58,000 from £47,000, would be paid through the Edinburgh merchant bank Noble Grossart, of which he is chairman and managing director.

Meanwhile, total boardroom pay climbed to £4.9m last year, compared with £4.1m the previous year.