Montreuil Sur Mer market
Admit it. We’ve all hidden our favourite food from our family at least once!
With this in mind we have decided to make amends by offering a glimpse of what Montreuil has to offer as you stroll around its ancient streets, waiting for the opening hours of your favourite restaurants and bars. The team have done their best to be even-handed but its difficult to remain impartial where calories are concerned. Sadly, the identity of the chef of our favourite homemade mayonnaise will have to remain hidden.
Please check opening hours with the establishments, they may vary.
By Tim Matthews
Place Charles de Gaulle
Cave de Montreuil Olivier and Belinda preside over this welcome addition to the Grande Place.
Knowledgeable and friendly, they will guide you to your perfect bottle.
Boulangerie Pâtisserie Grémont It’s extremely and deservedly rare to find oneself not in a queue at this temple of breadmaking and it’s always worth the wait. Try their baguette ‘Tradition’, the perfect accompaniment to any meal.
Fromagerie Caseus A long-time culinary magnet and tourist attraction in its own right. With over 250 cheeses in stock it’s impossible to pick out a favourite. Try some local cheeses such as Pavé de Montreuil, Sire de Créquy, Maroilles or yogurts from their own farm.
Boucherie Botte Ever heard of a black-label chicken ? (neither had we). This high-quality butcher will give your dinners the “wow” factor and if you can’t be bothered to do the cooking, check out his “ready meals” counter. His rillettes are to die for.
Pierru His tarte tropézienne would we believe have satisfied Brigitte Bardot. Whilst a yet-to-be-discovered actress (filming her cinema debut “And God Created Women”), Bardot wandered into a bakery in St Tropez and requested it be made to her specifications. His brioches, lemon drizzle cakes and hand-made chocolates have won him a host of admirers here in Montreuil.
Place Verte/Place Darnétal
AU GRÉ DES BLÉS If you are looking for an amazing brioche or gluten-free bread, look no further than this new arrival in the Place Darnétal. Baker Ulysee and patisseur Julie stick to organic ingredients and have added a new jewel to our crown. If they are available, check out the ‘apples’.
5 Place Darnétal et 12 Rue Saint-Gengoult (Ville Basse)
Saturday Market A small selection of our favourites
Les Mains Noires Organic vegetables grown by Pierre Mortreux just a stone’s throw (OK, a par 3) from the town. This is the supplier of choice for many of the town’s restaurants and he sells out quickly, so you’ll need to be an early bird to get the best choice.
Fishmongers We are fortunate to have two wonderful fishmongers, one from Etaples and one from Boulogne in our Saturday market delivering a ‘catch of the day’ to our doorsteps. You can be guaranteed that whatever is on offer is of the finest quality. Go early, or you’re likely to be disappointed.
Sophie Leviel If cream is your thing (it’s ours), take time to say hello to Madame and taste the finest for miles! Ladled from the back of her van, it’s thick and tangy, a world away from the more usual mass-produced jollop, and begging to be spooned over a baked apple or folded into a crème brûlée.
Fruit & Vegetables For your seasonal five-a-day, served with an all-seasons smile, go no further than the LeDucq and Edmont families. Give them a time-frame and they will hand-pick the ultimate veg box for you. These wonderful people don’t airfreight their produce from the other side of the world: they work in all weathers and deserve our custom. If you go early enough you can see them sharing an early coffee and trading local gossip along with their neighbours from around the market.
Les Ruchers de Montreuil Pick up a pot of Montreuil honey (you can spot the hives as you walk the ramparts) and remember us over breakfast!
Rue d’Hérambault
Gourmandise More of an emporium than simply a sweet shop it contains many traditional local specialities from biscuits to near-forgotten liquors. Spoiled for choice? Try the rose-hip, wonderfully named “gratte-cul”.
Dragibonbons If you are being dragged around by a tiny hand, this is a place to stop, detach the hand gently and fill it up with a sugary delight – we love the lollies.
Place Verte
Chocolats de Beussent A veritable paradise of hand-made chocolates. Pick up a box for your nearest and dearest they will be thanking you for weeks. Our heartfelt thanks to the staff for living in unseasonable temperatures in literally the coolest shop in the village.
Rue du Grand Sermon
Vinophilie With vintages dating back over 60 years and a great selection of magnums, along with just about every accessory you’ll ever need to serve them elegantly, you will be sure to find the perfect gift for that ‘special occasion’.
Lulu & Patrick, Fromagerie Caseus, Place Charles De Gaulle Photo: Michael Bennett
