UK: 7 vegan-friendly places in Exeter you need to try this Veganuary

From torbayweekly.co.uk

Looking for the best vegan food in Exeter this Veganuary 2026? From plant-based cafés and restaurants to vegan takeaways, discover the top spots for brunch, lunch, and dinner in the city, including healthy, palm-oil-free, and eco-friendly options

Exeter is embracing Veganuary this year, and whether you’re fully plant-based or just looking to try something new, the city has plenty of options to explore.

From cosy cafés to long-standing vegetarian restaurants, these are some of the best vegan and vegan-friendly spots in the heart of the city.

                                      61% of people considering veganism after Veganuary, says survey by top food app

1. Sacred Grounds – McCoys Arcade, Fore St, EX4 3AN
Sacred Grounds is a fully vegan café serving waffles, toasts, sandwiches, wraps, smoothies, salads, and more. All meals are palm-oil free, and the café runs on green energy. Table service is available, walk-ins are welcome, and bookings are taken for parties of six or more. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am–3pm. See their website for the current menu. 

2. Sprout – 1 Cathedral Yard, EX1 1HJ
Located opposite Exeter Cathedral, Sprout is a cosy plant-based café offering seasonal salads, warm sourdough dishes, savoury pastries, and homemade treats like cookies and Portuguese custard tarts. Perfect for a wholesome lunch or brunch during Veganuary.

3. Veg Box – Piazza Terracina, The Quay, EX2 8GT
Situated on Exeter Quay, Veg Box serves vibrant wraps, salads, smoothies, and specialty roast coffee. Its relaxed waterfront atmosphere makes it an ideal spot for a casual plant-based meal while exploring the Quay.

4. Herbies – 15 North St, EX4 3QS
A staple of Exeter’s plant-based dining scene since the early 1990s, Herbies continues to offer creative vegan and vegetarian dishes. While not exclusively vegan, it provides a wide range of plant-based options for lunch or dinner in the city centre.

5. The Flat – 142 Fore St, EX4 3AN
Known for its excellent vegan pizza options, The Flat is a casual spot perfect for sharing with friends or family during Veganuary. Its plant-based pizzas are a favourite among locals.

Other vegan-friendly options:

• Pho Exeter – Vietnamese restaurant with a variety of dishes that are naturally vegan or easily adaptable.

• On the Waterfront – Quayside eatery offering vegan pizza, veggie burgers, and plant-rich options.

• Crave – Scenic restaurant on the Quay serving vegan-friendly mains alongside its regular menu.

Veganuary is the perfect opportunity to explore Exeter’s plant-based scene, whether you’re a full-time vegan or just trying a few meals without animal products. Many of these cafés and restaurants offer creative dishes that are sustainable, healthy, and full of flavour.

Tips for visiting:

• Check opening hours before visiting, as some spots have limited hours or take bookings for larger groups.

• Many places are walk-in friendly, but larger parties should reserve ahead.

• Share your experiences on social media and tag local spots, many cafés are featuring Veganuary specials.

With so many vegan options across the city, Veganuary 2026 is shaping up to be a delicious month for Exeter residents and visitors alike.

https://www.torbayweekly.co.uk/news/around-devon/1988160/7-vegan-friendly-places-in-exeter-you-need-to-try-this-veganuary.html 

UK: I tried Exeter's trendy vegan restaurant and was left shocked

From devonlive.com

By Mary Stenson

I'm not a vegan but The Cheeky Vegan's new menu caters to all tastes 

The word 'vegan' seems to provoke some strong feelings for many people. For some, it's the catch-all answer to issues of health, the environment and animal rights, while others view it as an overly-restrictive diet.

But when I visited an Exeter restaurant, which proudly advertises itself as a vegan establishment, it didn't feel like a divisive term at all. On a Wednesday afternoon, customers at The Cheeky Vegan were a variety of different ages, from a young family enjoying a milkshake to two elderly women raving about the lentil soup and sourdough bread.

The Cheeky Vegan was first opened in April 2022 by then 21-year-old Emma Bates, with the hopes of bringing something "a bit younger and cooler to the city". Around 18 months later, the restaurant had closed for unknown reasons.

It remained empty for several months before being saved by Kenneth Yau, who reopened the business in March this year. Speaking to DevonLive earlier this week, he said running a restaurant or café had been a dream of his for more than 20 years.

"It's always been one of those dreams that you talk about but don't do," he said. "Mortgage and kids kind of took over. At some point last year, I was at a crossroads career-wise and I thought do I stay in the corporate lane or try something different?

"It just so happened that this was up for sale. Being vegan, I didn't want to take over a business and try to turn it vegan so it was ideal. It's a cross between a long held dream and a mid life crisis."

              Kenneth Yau is the new owner of The Cheeky Vegan opposite Exeter Cathedral (Image: The Cheeky Vegan)

Kenneth says there's a number of reasons why he became vegan around six years ago but the main one was for the animals. He says he was struggling to reconcile being upset by the death of a beloved pet cat but not by the killing of other animals.

He said: "A beloved cat died a few years before I went vegan. I was thinking through why I was upset about that and not other animals. One day I thought 'you know what? I'm just going to give this a go and if the only good thing that happens is I eat more vegetables, that's a good thing'."

Under its previous ownership, The Cheeky Vegan's menu items were dubbed "vegan junk food" but Kenneth says they've changed things up now to be more balanced. While burgers, fries and milkshakes are still on the menu, there's plenty of lighter options such as soups, salads and a range of specials.

Like many people of my generation, I have dabbled in a lot of 'accidentally' vegan and vegetarian food, whether that's making dairy-free brownies for a lactose intolerant friend or taking anything but cow's milk in my coffee. But I've always felt a little intimidated by the prospect of really immersing myself in veganism but now was my chance.

By the time I arrived at The Cheeky Vegan, I was pretty hungry so I opted for the quarter pounder (£9.95) and fries (£2.50) with mayo. On the menu, it says the burger is a "plant-based 'beef' patty with salad and a piquant burger sauce in a vegan brioche bun".

It might be a tiny kitchen but the service was super quick. I tucked in and was immediately surprised by how much I enjoyed it. While I had of course willingly ordered a vegan burger, there wasn't much noticeable difference between that and a meat burger. If anything, it was slightly more tender and didn't have the kind of 'plant-y' taste that I was anticipating.

                            The Quarter Pounder Burger and Fries from The Cheeky Vegan (Image: Mary Stenson/DevonLive)

The patty was complimented by the sauce which gave it a bit of a kick, some crunchy salad and a soft bun. The fries were the classic kind of fries you'd expect with a burger, with a nice balance of crispy and fluffy.

I was also presented with a range of specials, including the bruschetta with fresh and sundried tomatoes. This was perhaps the biggest surprise of the entire meal as I don't normally enjoy tomatoes but these ones were soft and flavourful. The sourdough - which is homemade - was very fluffy and probably my favourite part of the whole experience.

That's why I was buzzing when I was offered the Turkish lentil soup, which was also served with that glorious sourdough. The soup was another unexpected star of the show and would likely be my go-to light lunch if it pops up on the specials board again.

By this point I was pretty much defeated but was able to sample some of the other dishes, including falafel and quinoa salad, the Greek salad with vegan feta and spicy sweetcorn fritters. Salad isn't typically something I would order but it was very refreshing.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience and one I would recommend to everyone, not just vegans. In fact, I'm already planning to return with family members who are about as far away from vegan as you can get. Not only is it a tasty, varied menu but the location, right opposite the Cathedral, is the perfect spot for a light lunch.

https://www.devonlive.com/whats-on/reviews/tried-exeters-trendy-vegan-restaurant-9305575

UK’s Best Cities for vegans 2022

From theargus.co.uk

University news blog, Student Beans, has conducted a study to uncover the best cities in the UK for vegans, and Brighton has fared particularly well.

From the number of vegan-friendly restaurants available to the average cost of vegan food in the area, every aspect of vegan eating has been considered.

Coming in sixth place overall, Brighton and Hove also took the top spot when it comes to vegan food delivery options, according to the research.

Best cities in the UK for vegans

Student Beans map of 10 best cities for vegans. Picture: Student Beans

Taking the crown of the most vegan-friendly city 2022 is Edinburgh with a whopping 642 vegan restaurants and 42 Uber Eats options offering delicious plant-based food delivered straight to your door.

You should never be short of a tasty vegan meal if you find yourself in Scotland’s capital city.

Runner up in the list is Chester, missing out on the top spot with just nine Uber Eats restaurants and the cost of fruit and vegetables (staples in a vegan diet) is also slightly higher than Edinburgh.

However, with a total of 135 vegan restaurants to visit in the city, Chester is still an attractive place to visit for the vegan foodie.

Comfortably making it into the top 10, Brighton and Hove are flying the flag for meat-free at number six.

Top 20 best UK cities for vegans

The Student Beans top 20 best cities for vegan food in the UK. Picture: Student Beans

According to Student Beans, these are the top 20 best cities for vegan food in the UK.

1. Edinburgh
2. Chester
3. Nottingham
4. Glasgow
5. Newcastle upon Tyne
6. Brighton and Hove
7. Cambridge
8. Inverness
9. Manchester
10. Norwich
11. York
12. Bath
13. Oxford
14. Cardiff
15. Leeds
16. Bristol
17. Durham
18. Exeter
19. Stirling
20. Sheffield

Best UK cities for vegan food deliveries

Desi Indian Takeway is one of 71 establishments in Brighton offering vegan food options. Picture: Tripadvisor

According to Student Beans’ calculations, Brighton and Hove emerges victorious for vegan food deliveries with a whopping 71 restaurants on Uber Eats delivering vegan food.

Cambridge takes the second spot with 24 Uber Eats restaurants offering plant-based alternatives

Bath makes it into the top three, and with a population of 94,782, the city is obviously on board with the vegan movement boasting 15 plant-based options from Uber Eats.

These are the 15 cities coming out on top, according to their population Vs the Uber Eats restaurants delivering vegan food:

1. Brighton and Hove: Population 291,738 - 71 vegan Uber Eats options
2. Cambridge: Population 125,063 - 24 vegan Uber Eats options
3. Bath: Population 94,782 - 15 vegan Uber Eats options
4. Westminster: Population 269,848 - 40 vegan Uber Eats options
5. Oxford: Population 151,584 - 22 vegan Uber Eats options
6. Exeter: Population 133,333 - 17 vegan Uber Eats options
7. Salisbury: Population 44,748 - 5 vegan Uber Eats options
8. Manchester: Population 555,741 - 62 vegan Uber Eats options
9. Salford: Population 262,697 - 29 vegan Uber Eats options
10. Worcester: Population 100,265 - 11 vegan Uber Eats options
11. Norwich: Population 142,177 - 15 vegan Uber Eats options
12. Durham: Population 47,785 - 5 vegan Uber Eats options
13. Chester: Population 90,524 - 9 vegan Uber Eats options
14. Hereford: Population 60,415 - 6 vegan Uber Eats options
15. Southampton: Population 252,872 - 25 vegan Uber Eats options

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/19834034.veganuary-uks-best-cities-vegans-2022---brighton-scored/

UK: Exeter vegan market back next week after 16-month Covid-enforced absence

From devonlive.com

Visitors will be required to wear face masks when going round the stalls

Exeter's popular vegan market will be making a welcomed return next week after 16-month Covid-enforced absence.

It will be back at the Corn Exchange next Saturday, July 23, to bring together a huge selection of vegan and eco-friendly products, mostly created by small independent South West businesses.

Visitors can enjoy a unique range of vegan products including organically grown vegetables, a delicious choice of home-baked cakes and savouries, freshly baked bread, lovingly created cosmetics and toiletries, gifts, cards and environmentally-friendly household cleaners and baby products.

The market also offers a café for snacks and lunches. Entry is free and any profit goes towards fighting animal cruelty.

Organiser Mark Gold said: "It’s great to be back, with our stallholders highlighting a fantastic choice of inventive and imaginative new plant-based products.

"We try to ensure that there is always something fresh and exciting for everybody who cares about animals and the environment and wants to minimise their carbon footprint.

"We will also be doing everything we can to ensure Covid safety, operating a one-way system, widening our standard spaces between stalls and ensuring capacity limits.

"In keeping with Corn Exchange policy, we respectfully request that all visitors wear face masks except when seated to eat or drink in our café area."

A list of stallholders can be found here.

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/exeter-vegan-market-back-next-5665361