London's vegan restaurant hotspots: how much it costs to rent a home in the top 10 areas for vegan eateries

Rents comfortably top the London average in districts that cater particularly well for plant-based lifestyles.
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The average cost of renting a home in the capital’s most vegan-friendly neighbourhoods is rising faster than the London average, reveals a new report by property portal Rightmove and online food delivery company, Deliveroo.

Renting a two-bedroom home in London now costs £1,959 a month on average - but rents in seven of the top 10 locations with the highest number of vegan restaurants across the capital are now well beyond this price point.

As climate change, sustainability and ethical eating challenges such as "Veganuary" - in which people are encouraged to go vegan for January - continue to make headlines around the world, it's apparent that our lifestyle choices are under the spotlight.

In much in the same way that the “Waitrose effect” — the distance a home is from a premium supermarket — has been linked to affluent districts and house price growth, the new figures suggest that rental price growth in areas that cater particularly well for plant-based lifestyles is also higher than the London average growth of 4.2 per cent recorded last year. Vegentrification anyone?

The rise of veganism: how easy is it to go meat-free?

An estimated 370,000 people signed up to Veganuary this month and nine per cent of the UK population made a New Year’s Resolution to eat less meat, according to Lizzie Rivera, founder of ethical lifestyle community and marketplace, Bicbim.

“Living in London is very fast-paced and people seek convenience above all else. There’s no doubt living in a vegan-friendly area will definitely help people adopt a more plant-based lifestyle,” says Rivera.

Vegan-friendly stalls, bakeries, cafés and smoothie bars are springing up across the capital, while Greggs vegan sausage rolls caused a sensation when they launched last year.

Meanwhile, the capital's high-end shops and restaurants are catering for Londoners keen to follow in the footsteps of Hollywood star and Veganuary ambassador Joaquin Phoenix, comedian and actor Sara Pascoe and singer Ellie Goulding, an "aspiring vegan", by working towards going plant-based full time.

"There's a lot more choice these days, however eating out as a vegan isn’t necessarily cheaper — it’s not a financial decision people are making, it’s an ethical one," adds Rivera.

Vegan restaurants: top 10 London spots

The London area with the highest number of vegan restaurants is Shoreditch, in east London, where it now costs an average of £2,871 a month to rent a two-bedroom home, which is 7.1 per cent higher than in 2018 and far exceeds the average London rental rise.

A two-bedroom apartment within three minutes' walk of vegan hotspot Genesis, a restaurant near Spitalfields Market specialising in street bowls, tacos and London's “best vegan milkshake”, costs about £600 a week — that’s 22 per cent higher than the London average.

Notting Hill in west London has the second-highest number of vegan restaurants in the capital. Average rental prices in the area, which borders Ladbroke Grove and Latimer Road, are £2,671 a month for a two-bedroom property and annual growth is 5.6 per cent.

“We’re seeing a strong increase in tenants coming over from areas like South Kensington and Knightsbridge and overall those who live in the area are seeking more of a wellness-orientated lifestyle. Certainly the roads around eateries such as Farmacy, Daylesford and NAMA Foods are maintaining popularity and usually let very quickly,” says Simon Welfare, co-founder of local estate agents Wilfords.

“There are a lot of food connoisseurs living locally. I recently let a house to the founder of a successful fast-food restaurant who is considering ways to offer a more plant-based menu to their customers,” Welfare adds.

Table: the 10 London areas with most vegan restaurants

Rank Area Average asking rent (December 2019) Average asking rent (December 2018) Annual change (%)
1 Shoreditch £2,871 £2,682 7.1%
2 Notting Hill £2,671 £2,530 5.6%
3 Dalston £1,987 £1,933 2.8%
4 Clapham £1,909 £1,852 3.1%
South Kensington £3,388 £3,291 2.9%
6 Camden £2,808 £2,637 6.5%
7 Islington £2,358 £2,247 5.0%
Shepherds Bush £1,937 £1,788 8.3%
9 Stoke Newington £1,758 £1,704 3.1%
10  Finsbury Park £2,893 £2,708 6.8%

Other top locations were Dalston in the east, where average rents are £1,987 for a two-bedroom home, and Clapham and South Kensington in south-west London, where rental prices are £1,909 and £3,388 respectively.

“Clapham is increasingly popular as an area for both renters and homeowners to live,” says Charlotte Sweeney, lettings manager of Douglas & Gordon’s local branch.

“We had 68 per cent more people look at Clapham as somewhere to rent in the first week of the year compared to the first week of 2019.”

Sweeney adds: "More and more boutique-style places are opening, too. Nue Ground [a café, food and wine bar with the focus on sustainability] has opened beside us in Abbeville Road this year. The area offers a really good mix for all — we tend to get young professionals renting in groups of three or four, so there’s something for everyone."

Also on the list is Finsbury Park in north London, where average rents cost £2,893 a month for a two-bedroom home. Bicbim founder Lizzie Rivera lives near the area with her fiancé, Joe.

“It was the good transport links that were our main reason for choosing this part of north London,” says Rivera. “That said, we also liked the vibe.

“There are a couple of really good-quality shops selling organic and vegan products and cafés/restaurants that offer ethically sourced food and it definitely makes you feel part of a community. We feel good about supporting local business.”

Average rental price growth was 6.8 per cent in Finsbury Park, behind only Shoreditch (7.1 per cent) and Shepherd’s Bush (8.3 per cent) on the list of areas with the highest number of vegan-friendly eateries.

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