Foodie culture is on the rise, from those who scour cities for the most Instagrammable meals to obsessing over finding the perfect pancake stack- a foodie is an umbrella term for someone who simply loves food.
Facilitated by the pandemic, many of us have had to recreate the dining experience at home using meal kits or ordering takeaways. Because of this, spending on takeaways has risen by 19% during lockdown with a collective of £990m spent on fuelling our obsession for good food.
With this in mind, we have conducted the perfect study for those who love to appreciate food as we uncover the best cities in the UK for foodies. From the number of Michelin star restaurants in the area, to how accessible Uber Eats is in your city, and the city with the healthiest options for eating out we have created the perfect study to crown the foodie capital of the UK.
The best cities in the UK for foodies
Edinburgh has been crowned the best city for foodies in the UK
Taking the top spot for the best city in the UK for foodies is Edinburgh. With one of the highest numbers of coffee shops in the city (219), those who enjoy the elite combo of coffee and cake as a treat will be spoilt for choice.
However, if you’re looking for something a bit lighter, you can be confident about finding a nutritious meal in Edinburgh. With a total of 117 healthy restaurants, keeping a balanced diet will be easy if you find yourself here.
Runner up: Manchester’s lack of healthier options cost it the crown
Next up we have Manchester, missing out on the top spot for having only 57 healthy restaurants to choose from. However, if you’re a foodie who prefers to put your feet up and wait for the food to come to you, Manchester is the perfect place for you. Home to 799 Uber Eats restaurants in total, even the fussiest of food lovers will be spoilt for choice.
Scotland is the place for foodies, with 2 cities ranking in the top 3
Not only has Edinburgh ranked as the number one city for foodies, but Glasgow has also ranked number 3. It narrowly misses out behind Manchester for having slightly fewer Uber Eats restaurants (667) and bakeries (23) in the city.
Still, Scots should be proud of this ranking. Home to delicacies such as Haggis and Deep-fried Mars Bars, foodies won’t be short of interesting Scottish native dishes to try when visiting this region.
Yorkshire is the cheapest region for food
The Yorkshire region has been ranked the cheapest for your weekly shop of food and non-alcoholic drinks.
It’s great to see 3 out of 7 cities in Yorkshire (Sheffield, Leeds, and York) have made it into the top 20. Home to the infamous Yorkshire pudding, this region takes the crown for both value for money, and the best trimmings for your Sunday Dinner.
Check out how each city scored- where does your city rank?
The top 10 cities in the UK for foodies ranked
The top 3 cities for foodies who want a healthier option
If you’re a foodie but looking for a city that’s not all brownies and loaded fries, London, Manchester, and Bristol are the place for you.
Unsurprisingly, London takes the top spot with an impressive total of 851 healthy dine-in restaurants to choose from and 222 UberEats delivery services offering healthier alternatives.
If you want to branch out from the capital, health lovers should head to Manchester which is ranked number 2 for its healthy food choices. The average weekly spend on food and non-alcoholic drinks is 21% more in London than it is in Manchester, which means unless you’re a foodie with the cash to splash, Manchester is the best choice for those not looking to overindulge too much (in both senses of the meaning).
Next up we have Bristol, with a total of 65 healthy restaurants and 42 healthy options on UberEats. Whilst in comparison to London and Manchester this may seem slightly less impressive, the population of London is almost 3000% bigger than Bristol- put it this way if you find yourself in Bristol you’re unlikely to be short on restaurants with healthy food fit for even the biggest food-lover.
Worst cities in the UK for foodies
Our study also revealed the worst cities in the UK for foodies, because well, you don’t want to find yourself in a city where the only appetising thing available is from the local supermarket. It’s unsurprising that the smallest city in the UK has been named the worst city for foodies
Wells, also known as the smallest city in England, can be found in the Somerset area. The city is known for its medieval and historic past so it doesn't come as a shock that they aren’t home to any Michelin star restaurants or many healthy eateries. It is also 1 of 3 cities in the ranking that UberEats hasn’t got its hands on yet, and with only 12,000 residents, it’s unlikely that this will be a thriving foodie city any time soon.
Northern Ireland isn’t the place to be for foodies
With 4 cities in Northern Ireland making the top 10 worst cities in the UK for foodies (Newry, Ely, Armagh, and Derry), it’s fair to say it’s not the best place to find yourself if you enjoy Michelin star restaurants, or having options to choose from on UberEats when you just can’t be bothered to cook.
It’s also one of the more expensive places to find yourself as a foodie, with the average weekly household food shop costing £65.10, which is 16% more expensive than the cheapest region, Yorkshire.
To find out why each city made it into the top 10 worst cities for foodies, check out the table below!
Enough talking, it’s time to hit the road and check out some of these foodie hotspots for yourself…
Until then, why not order meal kits fit for a foodie straight to your door? From Nando’s hampers to fluffy protein pancakes, you don’t need to make the trip across the country to satisfy your cravings in 2022.
Methodology
To rank the best city for vegans in the UK, we analysed data from a number of factors including:
- The population of the cities was retrieved from the ONS data set and the world population review website.
- Total number of UberEats deliveries
- Total number of healthy UberEats deliveries
- Total number of healthy restaurants in each city
- Total number of Michelin Guide restaurants
- Average cost of a weekly food and non-alcoholic drink shop
- Total number of dessert, tea, and coffee shop and bakeries in each city
