Veganuary 2024: Brighton crowned most vegan friendly city in UK - as researchers calculate top ten

A train operator has calculated the UK's top ten most vegan-friendly cities for Veganuary, for people taking part in the popular New Year's challenge looking to take their next city break.

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) has put the UK's 20 biggest cities under the microscope, to calculate which have the most to offer vegan travellers. They used a combination of Google search data, the number of vegan restaurants listed on HappyCow for each city - a popular international website used for finding veg-friendly places to eat, and the number of vegan takeaway options on Deliveroo - adjusted per 100,000 people. This data was then used to give each city a score out of 100.

Brighton took the top spot, and by a huge margin, with a score of 86.9. The popular seaside getaway had the most vegan restaurants at 7.9 and vegan takeaways (at 8.3) per 100,000 people. Manchester came in second with a score of 64.9 - a glaring 22 points behind. Bristol came in a close third, with Edinburgh not far behind it.

However, London, ranking 5th, had the broadest range of vegan offerings overall - perhaps unsurprisingly as the UK's biggest city, with a population nearing 9 million. It has a whopping 178 fully vegan restaurants, and the most vegan takeaway options at 48.

Here is the full list:

The UK's top 10 most vegan-friendly cities

1. Brighton (86.9/100)
2. Manchester (64.9/100)
3. Bristol (59.9/100)
4. Edinburgh (54.5/100)
5. London (39.4/100)
6. Glasgow (33.9/100)
7. York (33.0/100)
8. Liverpool (25.5/100)
9. Cardiff (23.7/100)
10. Reading (22.8/100)

The data also showed that interest in veganism still appeared to be trending upwards in the UK, with the average number of Google searches for vegan restaurants increasing by 82% since 2021. Searches for vegan restaurants had also shot up a lot since 2021, even in some of the lower-rated cities - doubling in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and tripling in Southampton and Cardiff.

“With Veganuary occurring around the world throughout January, many people might be embarking on a transformative journey towards a plant-based lifestyle," LNER's customer experience head, Richard Judge, said. “Our research has shown that searches for vegan terms have increased by more than 80% since 2021, revealing a growing interest in veganism in the UK.”

“For those looking to explore vegan options in the UK this year, our research features some of the most vegan-friendly hotspots and our local restaurant recommendations, ensuring you have a true culinary journey to remember," he added. The company's travel and restaurant guides are available on its website here. To help support people going vegan for January, LNER’s onboard food selection would also include four menus featured plant-based food throughout the month.

The Veganuary challenge, which encourages people to try out plant-based eating for a month, was founded in the UK. Since its first iteration in 2014, the event has grown in size each year, from nearly 13,000 sign-ups to more than 700,000 people taking part in 2023 - for reasons ranging from concerns about personal health or animal welfare, to the environmental benefits associated with the lifestyle.