Bristol named the world's top city for veganism

By Zoë Crowther, Students’ Union Correspondent

Bristol came out as number one in a Google trends analysis which showed the volume of searches relating to veganism.

The Chef’s Pencil study found that Bristol had the most plant-based food related searches, closely followed by Portland and Edinburgh. Australia was found to the world’s top country for veganism, with the United Kingdom and New Zealand the second and third most vegan-friendly nations.

Despite the reputations of capital cities such as London and Berlin as vegan top spots, Bristol has surpassed them by becoming, according to a spokesperson for Chef’s Pencil, 'the new European and worldwide vegan capital.'

The wide range of vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Bristol has contributed to it securing its position as the most vegan-friendly, as well as the popularity of veganism among the student population.

Roughly 3.5 million people in the UK are believed to be vegan, about seven per cent of the entire population. With Veganuary currently underway, veganism has been increasing in popularity across the world.

The most popular reasons for adopting a vegan diet are animal ethics, environmental concerns and personal health.

Recent publicity campaigns such as the Greggs vegan sausage roll have caused a social media storm over the benefits and controversies of making the shift towards a diet free from animal products.

With a highly visible presence on university campuses and in all major UK cities, the popularity of the vegan movement shows no signs of letting up in 2019.

Featured Image: Epigram / Zoë Crowther