Small village in north of France wins best market of 2026

A weekly farmers' market in northern France has been named the Plus beau marché de France for 2026, with judges praising its local produce, friendly atmosphere and community spirit.

The Thursday market in Hesdin-la-Forêt, a small town in Pas-de-Calais, beat finalists from south-west and western France to claim the annual title awarded by French broadcaster TF1.

Small town market wins national title

Shoppers flock to Hesdin-la-Forêt, a town of just 4,600 inhabitants near Montreuil-sur-Mer, for the regular Thursday market.

It was crowned best in France as part of an annual contest organised by TF1's lunchtime news and is the second win for Pas-de-Calais after Etaples-sur-Mer took the title in 2021.

The market was praised for the diversity and quality of its produce and its welcoming atmosphere.

Mayor Matthieu Demoncheaux said: "It's such a down-to-earth market, in the most beautiful sense. I think that's what made a difference.

"There's a lot of kindness and generosity.

"It is, like many markets in neighbouring towns, a space for social cohesion, where people meet. The happiness it brings to residents is priceless."

Competition celebrates France's local markets

Hesdin-la-Forêt beat Villeréal (Lot-et-Garonne) and Jard-sur-Mer (Vendée), as voted by pastry chef Nina Métayer, actor Laurent Ournac, TF1 weatherman Ange Noiret and three viewers chosen to complete the judging panel.

Hesdin-la-Forêt is a new commune, created last year through the merger of four smaller communes: Hesdin, Huby-Saint-Leu, Marconne and Sainte-Austreberthe.

Before the merger, Hesdin had a population of around 2,200 and a difficult history.

It was named among the poorest towns in France in a 2015 Insee report based on 2012 data, with roughly a third of residents considered to be living in poverty.

The Plus beau marché de France competition, which launched in 2018, was the brainchild of Jean-Pierre Pernaut, who presented TF1's lunchtime news from 1988 to 2020 and made his name focusing on regional stories.

"For 30 years, we have covered countless stories about markets," he told Le Figaro.

"They are extraordinary living spaces... There is history, community, beautiful products, producers, and artisans."

Winning title brings tourism boost

The prize brings a boost to tourism and local revenue.

Past winners have reported significant gains.

Montbrison (Loire) saw a 30% rise in footfall in the weeks after its 2019 win.

Narbonne (Aude) recorded 600,000 market visitors in August 2022, double its usual traffic.

Sanary-sur-Mer (Var), the inaugural 2018 winner, created 500 new parking spaces to cope with increased demand.

No figures on the tourism and economic impact in Hesdin-la-Forêt are available yet, but the mairie has already installed a victory plaque on the town's noticeboard.

Mr Demoncheaux also marked the win by canoeing down the River Canche dressed as a pig – the town's mascot – in July, in what has become something of a tradition in the competition to celebrate in style.

The mayor of the 2023 winner, La Réole (Gironde), completed a parachute jump, while Niort (Deux-Sèvres), which triumphed in 2024, brought a farmers' market to the hall of TF1's Paris headquarters.