Brighton and Hove is named as the new vegan capital of the world.

The city fought off international competition to top the scoreboard, beating vegan hotspots such a Seattle in the United States and Berlin in Germany.

It’s the first time a city other than Bristol, or Portland in the US, has been crowned the world’s vegan capital.

The Argus: Veganism has become increasingly popular in recent yearsVeganism has become increasingly popular in recent years

The research by Chef’s Pencil works out what proportion of a city’s overall Google searches are vegan related in order to determine its popularity in that area.

The United Kingdom also performed well on the international stage, taking the top spot as the most popular country in the world for vegans, closely followed by Germany in second place and Austria in third.

It comes as experts are seeing a rise in flexitarian diets – one which mainly comprises plant-based products with occasional meat-eating.

Carlotte Lucas, corporate engagement manager at the Good Food Institute Europe, said: “As flexitarianism becomes more mainstream, it’s no longer only vegans and vegetarians who are recognising that every meal is an opportunity to eat more sustainably.”