The Story of Portsmouth’s Oldest Sandwich Shops

The Story of Portsmouth’s Oldest Sandwich Shops

The Story of Portsmouth’s Oldest Sandwich Shops

Third Generation Local Bakers

Did you know that our family history of feeding Portsmouth freshly baked bread dates back three generations to 1955, when our grandparents opened their very own bakery in Southsea?

Third Generation Local Bakers

Third Generation Local Bakers

Did you know that our family history of feeding Portsmouth freshly baked bread dates back three generations to 1955, when our grandparents opened their very own bakery in Southsea?

1988 - Our first Sandwich Shop Opens

André’s parents opened our first sandwich shop in Osborne Road, Southsea back in 1988. Who’d have thought we’d still be going strong so many decades later!

1988 - Our first Sandwich Shop Opens

1988 - Our first Sandwich Shop Opens

André’s parents opened our first sandwich shop in Osborne Road, Southsea back in 1988. Who’d have thought we’d still be going strong so many decades later!

The Early Days

Do you think our shops have changed much since the early days?

We certainly think they have! Although we’re proud to still be offering the same secret family recipes all served with a smile.

The Early Days

The Early Days

Do you think our shops have changed much since the early days?

We certainly think they have! Although we’re proud to still be offering the same secret family recipes all served with a smile.

A New Beginning

After a successful rebrand, André’s Food Bar was launched and we haven’t looked back since! With two successful shops and a third opening imminently, we’re proud to be Portsmouth’s oldest independent sandwich shops.

A New Beginning

A New Beginning

After a successful rebrand, André’s Food Bar was launched and we haven’t looked back since! With two successful shops and a third opening imminently, we’re proud to be Portsmouth’s oldest independent sandwich shops.

National Award Winners

We’ve bagged a whole load of local and national awards over the years, the most prestigious being when we won ‘Best Independent Retailer in the Country’ at the industry’s Sammies Awards in London, in 2022.

National Award Winners

National Award Winners

We’ve bagged a whole load of local and national awards over the years, the most prestigious being when we won ‘Best Independent Retailer in the Country’ at the industry’s Sammies Awards in London, in 2022.

Delicious, fuss free, fresh food, served with a smile! That’s what we’re all about here at André’s Food Bar and we’ve been doing it pretty damn well since we started in 1988. First opened by André’s parents in Osborne Road, Southsea (who were already second generation bakers themselves), the shop quickly gained fame as the place to go for freshly baked filled baguettes and croissants.

In fact, our many secret family recipes are still the talk of the town today. Walk down any street in the city and we guarantee you’ll find someone who has tried, and loved, our homemade quiches, homemade mayonnaise or of course our legendary homemade garlic chicken! Due to our top secret blend of herbs and spices our famous garlic chicken is often imitated but never replicated.

Fast forward to 2015 ... when André and his cousin, Antony, decided to take over the family business and bring it well and truly flying into the 21st century. Formerly known as La Croissanterie, we gave it a brand-new name and a modern, trendy look to mark the next generation. André’s Food Bar was born, or maybe that should be reborn, and we haven’t looked back since! In fact in 2018, we opened our second shop in the city’s University quarter and following that in early 2023 was our third shop in Drayton, to the north of the city.

Of course, we’ve added lots of new favourites to our menu and are always looking for fresh new ideas to keep our amazing customers coming back for more. With a genuine passion for serving delicious, fresh food, made just the way you like it, we are proud to be Portsmouth and Southsea’s oldest independent sandwich shops. But that’s not all as we’ve also racked up a few local and national awards along the way too! In 2022 we bagged the top prize of ‘Best Independent Retailer’ in the whole country at the prestigious British Sandwich Association industry awards in London.

So, whether you want a naughty nibble with your morning coffee, a freshly baked baguette with one of our truly legendary fillings, or one of our tasty homemade salads, then you've come to the right place!