EUROPEANS could soon be munching on one of the North-East's most popular snacks - a stottie.

Tyneside bakery group, Greggs, is hoping that the French will ditch their morning croissants in favour of the region's famous sandwich.

The family firm, which was founded in the 1930s, is hoping to take its success across the channel and branch out into the European market. Chairman Ian Gregg, who took over from his father in 1964, has announced plans to open up a pilot shop in mainland Europe.

At the moment, the company is keeping its first overseas venture under wraps, but if it is successful Greggs bakery shops could be cropping up on every continent.

A spokeswoman for the company said: "We are going to open a pilot shop in Europe, that will definitely happen, but we have no other information at the moment. We will just have to wait and see how it goes."

The firm is hoping to introduce Europeans to its best seller - the sausage roll.

It sells more than 100 million a year in the UK alone, closely followed by pasties and the traditional stottie.

The bakery business was set up on Tyneside by John Gregg, but after his sudden death in 1964 his son Ian gave up a law career to take over the company.

At the time, it was just a single shop with a small bakery at the rear but after expanding out of its North-East heartland, it now has chains in Leeds, Manchester, Glasgow and London among others.

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