Veganuary - LNER reveals the UK’s most vegan-friendly cities

With Veganuary urging more people to adopt a plant-based lifestyle, LNER conducted a study to discover the easiest places to go meat-free.

The research analysed Google search data, the number of vegan restaurants listed per city on HappyCow, and the number of vegan takeaway options on Deliveroo in the 20 biggest cities in the UK. This data was then used to give each city a score out of 100.

Topping the chart, Brighton stands out as the most vegan-friendly city, with the highest number of vegan restaurants (7.9) and vegan takeaways (8.3) per 100,000 people. Searches for vegan food here have increased by 50 per cent in the last 2 years, highlighting a strong foothold in the vegan movement.

Destinations along the LNER route, including London, Edinburgh, Glasgow and York also feature. London, ranking in the top five, is home to the UK’s largest share of vegans¹. The capital offers a whopping 178 vegan restaurants, and the highest number of vegan takeaway options (48) to choose from, making it the perfect place to explore all facets of plant-based living.

LNER’s findings show that Edinburgh has the highest number of searches for vegan restaurants per person, and Glasgow’s demand for vegan restaurants has increased by 22 per cent compared to last year. To meet this growing interest in the vegan lifestyle, Scotland’s capital city hosts several vegan events across the year – including the celebrated Scottish Vegan Festival.

Ranking in seventh place, the northern cathedral city of York has seen an ever-growing popularity of veganism, with searches for vegan terms increasing by almost 90 per cent since 2021. York offers a wide range of vegan eateries and vegan-friendly fare, including the Great Yorkshire Vegan Festival which takes place on 04 May this year.

Veganism is really picking up steam in the UK, as more and more people choose to remove animal products from their diets. According to recent findings from LNER, the average number of searches for vegan restaurants has increased by 82.4 per cent since 2021, now standing at 40,500 searches per month.

Founded in York, Veganuary has encouraged millions of people to embrace a vegan lifestyle as a way of protecting the environment, preventing animal suffering, and improving human health.

In light of this, LNER is going all out promoting Veganuary by introducing a variety of vegan dishes across their four menus: Dine, Dish, Deli and Brunch.

Richard Judge, Head of Customer Experience at LNER, added: “With Veganuary occurring around the world throughout January, many people might be embarking on a transformative journey towards a plant-based lifestyle.”

“Our research has shown that searches for vegan terms have increased by more than 80 per cent 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.”

“Here at LNER, we pride ourselves in offering our customers the best experience possible. On our trains, customers can enjoy a wide range of vegan options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, freshly prepared by our culinary teams.”

Top 10 most ‘Vegan-Friendly’ cities in the UK

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)

For more information on ‘the most vegan-friendly cities in the UK’ research, please visit: https://www.lner.co.uk/our-destinations/travel-inspiration/vegan-friendly-cities/

¹ https://www.statista.com/statistics/1065788/share-of-vegan-in-great-britain-by-region/