Portsmouth sandwich chain André’s Food Bar celebrates 35th birthday since first opening as Southsea's La Crossanterie

André’s Food Bar, now a chain with three locations in the city, began as La Crossanterie on Osborne Road, Southsea and brought a taste of French cusine to the people of Portsmouth. The business was founded by Jean-Marie Guedeney – known to friends as “French John” – and Kathleen Guedeney and has since expanded onto Portsmouth’s Lord Montgomery Way and a third site in Havant Road, Drayton, which opened in May.

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Current co-owner André Guedeney, 42, was involved with his parents’ business from a young age, but took on a more active role 15 years ago. The Osborne Road shop was revamped and renamed “Andre’s” eight years ago on the suggestion of André’s cousin and business partner Antony Aguado Navarro. The Anniversary was celebrated across the last week of October.

André said: “My dad came to Portsmouth and worked at the Tricorn Centre flipping burgers in a burger van. His dream was always to open a French patisserie and then in 1988, him and my mum opened the croissanterie on Osborne Road.

"As kids, me and my brothers would work there on a Saturday - it’s always been part of our life.”Baguettes and other French specialities are still among the most popular products sold but the chain’s menu has now expanded to include a wider range of dishes.

André’s launched an app last year which enables customers to pre-order, and they were given 35 per cent discounts on products during the anniversary week.

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André added: “It’s a whole new customer base for us up in Drayton. It’s always somewhere that we wanted to be and it’s the time that we have ventured off of Portsea Island. It seems to be going from strength to strength.

"Back when my dad first opened the shop, you couldn’t buy a croissant in Portsmouth - or a baguette for that matter. Now, every supermarket offers those things so we have had to move with the times.

"35 years is a milestone and a half - we hope to be going in another 35 years.”

André attributes the success of the business to good food and good customer service and said that he would like to expand the chain across the Portsmouth area and further afield.