BRIGHTON AND HOVE has been named among the top ten cities for food lovers in the UK.
The city was ranked as eighth-best for foodies in a recent study by Muscle Food, which took nine factors into account.
Aspects considered included an area’s number of healthy restaurants, and the amount of eateries in the Michelin guide – with Brighton and Hove seeing 15 in this year’s guide.
Laura Belshaw, campaign and brand marketing manager at Muscle Food, said: “It's no surprise that Brighton has been named one of the best cities in the UK for foodies, thanks to its vibrant culture and range of amazing independent restaurants.
“The city has plenty to offer foodie visitors and residents, from cafes to food markets and Michelin star restaurants.”
Brighton and Hove has the highest number of restaurants per person in the top 15, with 0.40 per capita, and a staggering 464 eateries available on delivery service UberEats.
The number of coffee shops totalled 138, equal to Manchester – with almost half the population.
However, the Sussex city fell behind other areas with an average weekly household spend on food and non-alcoholic drinks of £68.70, the highest amount outside of London in the top 15.
The city also lost points for its minimal number of bakeries, at just 22.
“It's great to see so many cities embracing the foodie scene,” said Laura. “A strong community of independent restaurants is one of the best ways to enrich local areas and attract both national and international tourists.
“Additionally, with an increasing number of healthy options, communities are now making it easier to live a balanced lifestyle around our busy social lives, making the area more attractive to prospective residents.”
READ MORE: AA Restaurant Guide 2022: Best Brighton restaurants revealed. See the list
The top-rated city in the UK was Edinburgh, while the worst area for foodies was announced as Wells, otherwise known as Britain’s smallest city, with only three healthy-eating restaurants, and no UberEats service.
It comes as July to September 2021, saw a 73 per cent increase in revenue, compared to the same period in 2020. Though this was down 10.1 per cent on July to September 2019, with revenue of £35.1 billion.
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