When the company he worked for was subject of a takeover, Mark Williams decided it was time for a change of career.

Having worked in retail for several years, he was looking for something different and catering and food retail were so far down his list he never gave them a serious thought until he started his research.

Mr Williams, 27, said: "It occurred to me, although there were plenty of fast food outlets around, there were none that sold sandwiches as well as McDonald's sells burgers - where you can quickly choose what you want, make your purchase, be confident of what you are getting, choose to take it away or eat in and relax.

"I believed there was an opportunity to appeal to shoppers and people who work in the area and I came up with the idea for Ready To Go which I started with my father."

Mr Williams, who lives near Horsham, opened the first RTG in North Street, Brighton, followed by another in Swindon. He plans to have a chain across the South in a few years.

"After a lot of hard work we developed a range of more than 50 types of sandwiches and baguettes," he said.

"To complement the sandwiches, we had to make sure the rest of our range was just as good, from our Italian coffee and freshly-baked pastries to homemade soup. Plans are under way for the best hot dogs in town.

"Our delivery service has become popular, especially with firms putting on special events. Judging by the early results, we have found the recipe for success."