With Veganuary well under way, more and more Brits are exploring vegetarian and vegan living.
In 2023, Veganuary saw a record-breaking participation of over 700,000 individuals worldwide with research conducted by Finder, estimating that the UK could have a total of 15.8 million meat-free individuals at the beginning of 2024.
For those of us who’ve given Veganuary a go and want to keep up a plant-based diet in 2024, data experts at food subscription company HelloFresh, have analysed restaurant reviews across various UK cities to reveal the best and cheapest cities for vegan food.
Additionally, they factored in population size, the number of vegan restaurants per capita, the affordability of plant-based eateries, the number of 4-star and up, and the percentage of 5-star vegan options, to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of each city.
According to the research, Brighton was the city most suited to following a plant-based lifestyle. While ranking second was Edinburgh for the number of vegan options per capita at 106 per person, Brighton excelled with a 15% rate of 5-star options and a 20% rate of affordable eats, securing the top spot.
These are the top ten cities for vegans
| City | Total score |
| 1. Brighton | 100 |
| 2. Edinburgh | 99.2 |
| 3. Leeds | 88.9 |
| 4. Newcastle upon Tyne | 86.4 |
| 5. Coventry | 85.0 |
| 6. Liverpool | 82.3 |
| 7. Cardiff | 81.9 |
| 8. Sheffield | 77.7 |
| 9. Plymouth | 77.2 |
| 10. Glasgow | 75.4 |
Following closely behind was Edinburgh in second place, with an impressive 125 vegan eateries per person, the most out of any city. However, it boasted slightly lower percentages of 5-star options and affordable vegan eats at 13% and 19%, respectively.
Securing the third spot was Leeds with 83 vegan eateries per capita, followed by Newcastle in fourth with a noteworthy 91 vegan options per capita. However, Leeds edged it slightly on plant-based cheap eats.
Surprisingly, London, despite its size, ranked 19th, falling behind Southampton, Portsmouth, and Leicester, with only 49 vegan eateries per person. The capital ranked joint third bottom for the percentage of 5-star options among all 25 UK cities analysed at only 8%.
The research also reveals the most affordable UK cities for vegans according to the percentage of cheaper plant-based food options. Coventry has the highest number of affordable options with almost a quarter of vegan eateries (23%) deemed cheap by Tripadvisor.
Brighton and Wolverhampton came in joint second with 20% of plant-based eateries classed as affordable followed by Edinburgh with 19%.
Norwich and Hull were found to be the least affordable city for vegans with only 8% of options deemed affordable.
The most affordable cities for vegans
| City | Percentage of affordable vegan options |
| Coventry | 23% |
| Brighton | 20% |
| Wolverhampton | 20% |
| Edinburgh | 19% |
| Leeds | 18% |
| Leicester | 17% |
| London | 16% |
| Cardiff | 16% |
| Stoke-on-Trent | 16% |
| Liverpool | 16% |
HelloFresh’s Senior Recipe Development Manager, Mimi Morley, comments:
“There’s no denying that over the past decade, cities in the UK have undergone a monumental shift, making a meat-free diet more accessible than ever. From a surge in vegan eateries to increased plant-based options in supermarkets, UK cities now reflect the growing demand for sustainability.”
She adds, “While adopting a plant-based diet is beneficial all year-round, Veganuary is the perfect time to join a community effort for positive change. Beyond misconceptions, vegan food can be diverse, exciting, and fulfilling—there’s truly never been a better time to explore the lifestyle for yourself.”
For more vegan food inspiration visit the HelloFresh website.
