A MOUTHWATERING display of traditional French food and drink will be packed into Tavistock town centre this month, when an entire market ships across the channel to take up residence in Bedford Square.
The 26 traders, all from Normandy and Brittany, will be setting up shop on Friday April 16 and will stay in Tavistock until Sunday April 18.
On offer will be a wide range of food and drink, including wine, cheeses, bread, charcuterie, paté, jams, honey, speciality hams and sausages, plus some regional craftware and clothes.
Marjorie Vincent, spokesman for the Marche de France organisation, said: ?We have been doing these markets in England for six years, but this is the first time we have been to this area. We have been mainly concentrating on the centre and south of England and last year we decided to go Wales, where we had very good results.
?We are trying to establish regional partnerships ? we would like to come back to these towns once or twice a year. We think it also benefits local shops, because the market attracts more people into the town ? we hope everyone will benefit from us being here.?
Marjorie said the market traders have been working together as a team, originally moving around the Normandy area before deciding to branch out across the Channel.
?We are mainly small, family producers. For example, the lady who has the paté stall is selling what her brother makes at home in France, so it?s a proper family business,? said Marjorie, who said the market was looking forward to coming to Tavistock.
?Bedford Square is just the right size, it should look lovely. The stalls are all different ? it will look exactly like a typical market you would find in France,? she said.
Cllr Norma Woodcock, mayor of Tavistock, will officially declare the market open on the Friday morning.
Cllr Woodcock said: ?We are delighted to welcome this event to Tavistock ? I am sure locals and visitors will find it a new and exciting opportunity to find a little bit of the continent here in the town.?
Cllr Woodcock said Tavistock, recently voted top market town in a national survey, was a thriving and vital town ? the French market and forthcoming local food festival were just two examples of what made it an lively and interesting place to live and visit.
And Marche de France is not the only trading visitor to Tavistock this summer. Pannier Market reeve Eddie Carruthers is currently negotiating to bring another continental shopping experience to the town, again on a three day basis. The 20-30 stallholders will be offering such goods as Dutch cheeses, Italian regional products, Spanish delicatessen goods, Italian leather and Belgian chocolate.
Marche de France will be returning to Devon this summer ? the stallholders have been booked to come to Okehampton on June 12.