The UK's 'best' market town with hardly any tourists - everyone visits famous neighbour

A beautiful UK market town is one of the UK's "food capitals" but much less well known than other Yorkshire towns and a famous neighbouring city. Malton is a small market town in North Yorkshire famed for its vibrant culinary scene, and independent shops.

It's located less than half an hour's drive from York, one of Britain's most popular and visited cities that's known for its iconic cathedral. But its previously been said to be overlooked in favour of tourist destinations in the surrounding area. Brandt Guides said back in 2022 that the town of some 5,000 people is "not a well-known place outside of northeast Yorkshire, even though tens of thousands of holiday visitors pass close by every weekend on the A64 or railway on their way to Whitby, Scarborough and Filey".

The firm added that it's "not a place geared to mass tourism, but that is exactly where its attraction lies".

Mumsnet users hailed Malton as a great place for a family to move to, when someone on the platform asked for advice on some of the best market towns in the UK to buy in.

The mum, who said she was based in East of England, shared a post in which she voiced hopes of finding relocating to an historic market town with a budget of between £550k and £650k, suggesting the furthest north they'd go would be North Yorkshire. She added that it would need to be an area where they "could afford a detached house with at least 4 bedrooms and a decent size garden".

The mum asked for recommendations for ones with "a buzz about them" as well as "lots of coffee shops, delis, pubs, restaurants and ideally, some art shops" and a college for her child with a good reputation for art.

She suggested towns like Helmsley, some 30 minutes from Malton, and Stamford in Lincolnshire, and said that it needed to be a "friendly, inclusive area".

One user said Malton is "better than Helmsley for the things you're talking about as for the kids it's 22 mins on the train to York."

Another wrote that "lots of North Yorkshire towns tick your boxes but I wouldn't immediately suggest Helmsley. With a teen you probably want to be on a good train/bus link to York (not just for college, but jobs and socialising too) so would suggest Malton or Thirsk".

They added that Malton "has a great foodie scene and some interesting small shops, and you can always head to York for more specific art shops".

Besides the array of independent restaurants which has seen Malton dubbed the "food capital of Yorkshire", it's also got a great independent shopping scene. Visitors flock to The Shambles, a long-established shopping street with shops offering an ecclectic selection of wares, including clothes, furniture, and artwork.

Jamie Kirk, commercial director at Victory Leisure Homes, recommended Malton as a great choice Britons planning an autumn staycation.

"Described as 'a town of markets and makers', Malton hosts a monthly food market throughout the autumn months, meaning there's still plenty to do even when summer ends.

"Spend a morning walking the nearby rolling hills of the Yorkshire Wolds before enjoying good food and drink in one of the centre's cosy pubs or cafes."