How vegan is the UK?

Revealed: The Vegan capital of the UK – Bath is the city with the most vegan-friendly restaurants and enthusiasts on social media New Vegan Index reveals the best UK city for vegans The study combines several factors, ranking each UK city by the number of vegan-friendly restaurants, social media mentions of veganism and Google searches for vegan-related content. Bath has been revealed as the Vegan capital of the county according to a recent research study by weight loss specialist, The Hospital Group , followed by Manchester, Cambridge and Leeds. London placed number five in the research rankings, despite having the highest number of Vegan restaurants. Veganism gains over 3 million Google searches every month and there have been nearly a million mentions of #vegan across Twitter and Instagram in the last year [6] . Following recent reports of a 360% increase in vegans in Britain between 2006 – 2016, The Hospital Group has conducted research to find the vegan capital of the UK and assess where the best place to be vegan is. The study combines three data points to create a UK veganism index including: Number of Google searches for vegan content in each city Number of vegan restaurants in each city Number of social media mentions of vegan. Veganism and #vegan, broken down by city Each data point was calculated in relation to the city’s population and combined to create an overall score. The ranking is as follows, (the full ranking can be found at the end of the release): The UK vegan index reveals that Bath is the vegan capital of the UK. With 153 vegan-friendly restaurants and around 360,000 Google searches each month for Vegan related content, Bath comes out on top as the Vegan capital of the country. The data is calculated relative to the population. Despite having 776 vegan-friendly restaurants, London ranks 5 th on the UK vegan index and is beaten by Manchester (2 nd ), Cambridge (3 rd ) and Leeds (4 th ). Swansea ranks the last place on the vegan index, but Plymouth has the least amount of vegan friendly restaurants with just 24 locally. Nearly a third of Brits become a vegan to lose weight Recent reports by Kellogg’s reveal that while some Brits take up the vegan lifestyle due to their beliefs on animal cruelty, nearly a third (29%) adopt the diet in a quest for weight loss. [3] The steep rise in Brits becoming Vegan for a range of motives has led to supermarket brands across the UK are stocking up on more vegan options to keep up with demand. Mintel has reported that the UK meat free food market is worth £572 million, up from £539 million only two years earlier. [5] As George Hamlyn-Williams, Principal Dietitian at The Hospital Group said: “Incorporating more plant-based foods into your diet is a great way to make healthier choices in 2019. “Meat and dairy are often difficult for the body to break down, so a vegan diet can also be beneficial from a digestive point of view. However, incorporating substitutes for the nutrients found in meat and dairy products is an important consideration for anyone looking to make a change to their diet. “When it comes to weight-loss, finding a diet that fits the individual is key to seeing weight loss success. There’s no quick fix or easy solution so committing to a change that can be maintained is key. Opting for a long term lifestyle solution is the best way to see lasting results – giving the body all the nutrients it needs to remain healthy and functioning throughout the journey.” For further information on long term weight loss solutions visit The Hospital Group .