2019 is set to be a big year for veganism. Almost half (42%) of the UK’s vegans made the change in the past 12 months, and Veganuary has already reported a record number of sign-ups for this year. But which are currently the most popular cities with vegans in the UK? The Body Shop has researched far and wide, exploring foodie spots, beauty trends, those most vocal on social, search trends and more to uncover the top six UK cities for vegans.
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Edinburgh – the hungriest city for vegan cuisine
Edinburgh – the hungriest city for vegan cuisine
Edinburgh, the beautiful hilly capital of Scotland, has landed a spot in the top six for its residents’ and visitors’ appetite for vegan food. There were 22 times more searches from people in Edinburgh for 'vegan restaurants' in 2017 than in 2015. This impressive growth has continued to spiral, with a further 97% increase since.
But it’s not just restaurants Edinburgh’s vegan foodies are after, they also appear to enjoy a cosy night in. Edinburgh is fast taking the top spot for appetite for vegan takeaways with an 88% increase in Google searches since November 2017. This growth topped that of any other city – Glasgow only saw a 52% increase in searches, whilst London witnessed a 33% increase and Brighton only 23%.
Glasgow – the city with a lot of love for vegan beauty
Glasgow – the city with a lot of love for vegan beauty
The port city of Glasgow has shown a big love for vegan beauty, which has grown rapidly over the past few years. Google searches for ‘Vegan makeup’ from those in Glasgow have grown by a massive 77% since November 2014.
This pits them just above London (72% increase) and Sheffield (65% increase) when it comes to surge in vegan beauty demand, but miles above Edinburgh and Brighton - 29% and 6% respectively.
Not only is Glasgow also the biggest spender compared to any other city in the UK, but the people of this western lowlands cultural hub have purchased a huge 237% more vegan products per person than those in London.
Manchester – the most vocal city
Manchester – the most vocal city
This much-loved industrial city is full of positive things to say about veganism. They’re the most vocal and the most positive on social media with mentions of #vegan.
However, Manchester doesn’t just talk the talk. In 2018, people of Manchester purchased 171% more The Body Shop vegan products per person than the people of London, and 45% more than Sheffield.
Sheffield – the rising newcomer
Sheffield – the rising newcomer
Famous across the country for being the greenest city in the UK, Sheffield is well on its way to overthrowing both London and Brighton as the top vegan city.
Alongside the surge in ‘vegan makeup’ Google searches, Sheffield now has over 800% more social media accounts since November 2017 talking about veganism. This huge increase illustrates just how quickly the vegan community in Sheffield is expanding.
London – the one for everything vegan
London – the one for everything vegan
There’s no surprise that our capital made the top six. Google searches for the word ‘vegan’ have almost doubled by those in London (178%), compared to searches back in 20153. In fact, this puts London at the top when it comes to the biggest growth in ‘vegan’ searches, which could be expected with its larger population and varied offering. However, searches for 'cruelty free beauty' have also increased by 100%3, showing Londoners are really starting to mean business in the fight against animal testing.
Not only this, but The Body Shop sold 250,000 vegan products in three months last year, with the most amount of vegan products flying out the door in Oxford Street, Regent Street and Westfield Stratford.
Brighton – the place for social vegans looking to connect in person
Brighton – the place for social vegans looking to connect in person
The seaside city of Brighton is already a well-known vegan hot spot. The city offers the most events (per 100,000 people), plus 96 vegan friendly restaurants in this popular day-trip destination[6]. That’s more places to dine per 100,000 residents than any other city in the list, so although Edinburgh has the demand, Brighton has the offering.
Discover more on the best vegan cities in the UK, including the emojis each city is using with vegan mentions, and the most loved vegan product of each location, over on the The Body Shop Vegan Hub.