Inspiration

Nos Halles de Saint-Martin Marketplace

Apr. 2024

3 min.

Delicious local food down every aisle

Since the Middle Ages, covered marketplaces have served to showcase food masters and local artisans.

Once the nerve center for any village or city, today these marketplaces (“halles” in French) have brought local foods and producers back into fashion, and all to our culinary delight!

A first in Haute-Savoie

Instigated by Pierre Dumont, an entrepreneur in Villaz and the building owner, “Nos Halles de Saint-Martin” Marketplace opened its doors in October 2022. The goal of this rather bold undertaking is to focus on a genuinely local approach to the art of living.

For the first time in Haute-Savoie, through the aisles of a gourmet marketplace that captures the cheerful atmosphere of the south of France, the variety of vendors, all passionate about their trade, work seamlessly and effortlessly together for their common good. Alain Michel, a master cheesemaker in Annecy and one of the pillars of the project, agrees, “Sharing our expertise and love of the product are an integral part of cooking, making food, and high-end cuisine. Here, at Nos Halles Saint-Martin Marketplace, customers all have their own individual habits when shopping; they walk around, try a tasting, and simply take their time.”

A whole lot of know-how in just one place

Just a ten-minute drive from Annecy, on the main road to La Roche-Sur-Foron, Nos Halles de Saint-Martin Marketplace, located in the town of Fillière, is open Tuesday through Sunday, with the stands of seventeen well-known skilled local artisans all under one roof.

Fruits and vegetables stands, delicatessens, beef and pork butchers, fish stands, and cheesemakers to fill up your cart on wholesome, delicious goodies, enjoy a burger or crepe (or both) for a quick bite to eat, traditional restaurants and family rotisserie for full meal for lunch or dinner, as well as a bar and wine cellar.

In other words, “Nos Halles Saint-Martin” Marketplace pulls out all the stops to provide everything you need to enjoy a palate-pleasing time at brunch, lunch, dinner, after hours, or simply for high-quality grocery shopping. “The real benefit to our marketplace is that we make parking easy, and you can take all the time you need once here. We have a huge covered patio that we plan to expand this summer,” explains cheesemaker Alain Michel.

A warm and friendly atmosphere

Nos Halles de Saint-Martin Marketplace provides a warm and friendly place to eat, shop, and chat with vendors.

A great, responsible shopping experience means going straight to the source, taking full advantage of the opportunity to enjoy a one-to-one relationship with the producers and artisans. A relationship based on trust, and one that provides the unparalleled taste of local high-quality products.

To put the final touches on the amazing food experience (whether eating or grocery shopping), a florist and decorations vendor enhance the marketplace’s culinary expertise, demonstrating the ability to warmly welcome guests as well as feed them.

A farmers and producers market, great cuisine that cooks almost exclusively with local ingredients, and the wide range of products ensure that you head home with a well-stocked shopping cart. For Alain Michel, this marketplace focuses on, encourages, and serves to develop a short, local-food supply chain. “Between vendors, we purchase products from each other as ingredients for our recipes, or to pair certain foods and wines. For example, Ginette’s Burger and Co makes a cheeseburger with our signature soft Pèr’ Michel cheese that you only find here. All of this gives greater meaning to our marketplace collective.”

One location for a shared experience

Everything here is designed to offer a shared experience, with a play area for kids, pétanque courts, a bar with a patio, and a full program of events, including concerts and other entertainment all throughout the year to enjoy a breath of fresh air during a meal or while quenching your thirst at the bar.

Celebrate Mother’s Day, or hunt for eggs, listen to a concert at dinner, or even participate in a food-tasting event. Nos Halles Saint-Martin Marketplace reinvents itself from season to season. Once again, Alain Michel agrees, “This is such a lively place. I would like spend more time here to take full advantage of the warm and friendly atmosphere, as well as to enjoy the always-interesting discussions with shoppers and the other vendors.”

Keep a close eye on the schedule to enjoy one or several of the many festive events. We guarantee that you will love the food here and always have a great time!