I have a habit of wandering into specialty food shops when I travel, partly because I love discovering unfamiliar products and partly because I'm interested in how people choose to present food. Épicerie Madame, in Vieux-Lille, was one of the places that caught my attention on a recent day trip from Paris.
Founded in 2017 by Juliette Graux, the business began with a frustration I can appreciate. Having spent years discovering specialty food shops in Paris, she wanted to bring a similarly varied selection to Lille, her hometown. Before opening the shop, she'd worked in classical music and real estate. Food retail was an entirely new direction.
The shop has since grown beyond Lille, but its original idea remains: a collection of products chosen for their quality, character, and the pleasure they might bring to an ordinary meal.
Inside, I found shelves of hot sauces, condiments, preserves, and non-alcoholic spirits, alongside cookbooks, ceramics, and objects for the table. Spanish conservas with beautifully illustrated packaging sat near jars of prepared sauces and ingredients from different culinary traditions. I was drawn to the range of smaller brands, including products I hadn't encountered before.
The presentation is playful without losing the feeling of a traditional épicerie. Dark blue shelving provides a consistent backdrop for an assortment of unusually colorful labels. In another section, cookbooks and decorative ceramics make the connection between shopping for food and imagining how it might be served.
What I appreciate about shops like this is the opportunity for discovery. You might enter looking for one ingredient and leave having learned about a producer, a different way to prepare something familiar, or a product you wouldn't have known to search for.
Épicerie Madame is a reminder that an interesting food shop can offer more than convenience. It can introduce people to new tastes and make the everyday business of cooking and entertaining a little more imaginative.
Lille, France · Independent Shop
7 rue du Curé Saint-Étienne
Lille, France