Journalist Lucy Shrimpton argues that France's northern coast has so much to offer in this article in France magazine. completefrance.com

Explore Maison 76 and its owner Tim Matthews with this in-depth article by Lucy Shrimpton in the October 2018 issue of Living France Magazine:

"It can be challenging confining oneself to one sentence alone to describe someone’s outlook on life, so when it comes to the type of person who would refer to Montreuil’s proximity to London as if it were a Marlow, a Maidstone or a Maldon, then really three words should do it: Tout est possible. And when you pay a visit to Tim Mathews’ Maison76 – once the home and working premises of generations of pharmacists and now a maison d’hôte – in Montreuil-sur-Mer, it’s clear to see why he is so happy to call this walled and perfectly preserved Pas-de-Calais town his home..."

Travel to France! Discover Stéphane Bern's favourite villages.
Stéphane Bern, who hosts an annual contest on France2 Television awarding France's best villages, lists Maison 76 and Alexandre Gauthier's La Grenouillière restaurant amongst his ten favourites from the competition.

The Hungry Weekend

The weekend: For a little town, Montreuil-sur-Mer, 40 minutes’ drive from Calais, punches seriously above its weight. And if you’re watching your weight, be seriously afraid, because food-lovers return time and again for a gastronomic pilgrimage, door to door along Montreuil’s cobbled alleys.
A medieval walled city, it was the setting for Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, but nowadays the 18th and 19th-century shops, inns, eateries, bars, mansions and shuttered townhouses make up a jolly town, where people greet each other with a morning wave of an (award-winning) baguette. You’ll be glad you brought the car – with artisanal cheese, chocolates, pâté and patisserie at every turn, and duty-free wine by the caseload, fill your boot!

The food

Where to start? Thankfully, a website has launched to take the legwork out of your long weekend. Ladestinationgastronomique.com is a one-stop shop for ‘restaurants, provisions, wine, walks, events’. The name to look out for is local hotshot chef Alexandre Gauthier, French chef of the year 2016. His father gained a Michelin star for his bucolic inn, La Grenouillère, in the 1980s, which a young Alexandre took over, and which gained a second Michelin star this year, making it one of only two two-star French restaurants north of Paris.
Spreading his wings, Gauthier added a casual rotisserie to the town’s repertoire in 2007, Froggy’s, for spit-roasted lamb, rabbit and sucking pig, and, in 2015, the smart-casual restaurant, Anecdote, where locals feast on bowls of monkfish stew in a cream broth with crisp baby vegetables.
A Michelin star also belongs to Le Château de Montreuil and its chef Christian Germain (for a bit of posh). Mere minutes’ walk from each other are more wallet-friendly diners, such as Le Bistronome, with Francois’ Asian-inspired and classic French dishes; Le Clos des Capucins, where fish and offal are cooked to perfection; Le Patio, with its walled garden for intimate dinners; Le Pot du Clape, which serves simply soup… the list goes on.

The wine

Our very own British Wine Society had its only continental outpost in Montreuil, but it departed France post-referendum. La Cave swooped up the manager and is about to take over bigger premises on the town square for its brimming stock and forward-thinking friendly customer service.
There’s no night-spot in Montreuil, but locals love to kick off their evenings with an aperitif at Le Caveau (accompanied by a slice of Alsacian pizza), a pint at Le Douglas (young people!) and an after-dinner brandy in front of the fire at the 16th-century Les Hauts de Montreuil.

The stay

You can’t do better than the chic boutique chambre d’hôte Maison 76 in the centre of town, Montreuil’s former 18th-century pharmacy. Antiques, fine furnishings, a drawing room for guests to relax in with a pot of tea or a welcome drink and snacks, a lavender-filled walled garden with heated pool and a summerhouse, all wrapped up with the wit and charm – and interiors’ eye - of a British host and long-term resident. Tim will even cook you dinner with wine from his cellar, and knows everyone and everything about Montreuil.
With only three doubles and one suite, booking, as they say, is essential.

And after that

A 20-minute drive and you are at Le Touquet, home to M et Mme Macron. It’s a honeypot for sandy beaches, a serious market (Thursdays and Saturdays) and local bars and restaurants (what, more?!). Otherwise, Montreuil is the gateway to the Somme.

Need to know

Visit ladestinationgastronomique.com for a handpicked list of where (and what) to eat and drink. On December 9 and 10 2017, Montreuil hosts a fête de la gastronomie with events and wine-tastings in the citadel and the Hermitage, along with a Christmas market in the town square. Doubles at Maison 76 from €175 B&B (maison76.com).Take the car from Folkstone to Calais with Eurotunnel (eurotunnel.com).

This article originally appeared in London's City AM

Photos © Michael Bennett, Christian Plard