Bingham, boutique hotel, restaurant and bar in Richmond upon Thames, was last night awarded Best Gastronomic Experience at the BT Visit London Awards, with Paternoster Chop House and Vinopolis taking home the silver and bronze respectively.

The hotel enjoyed a successful evening, also taking home the prize for Small Hotel/B&B of the Year. Serving a menu of British cuisine under highly acclaimed executive chef Shay Cooper, the restaurant was commended for its use of local suppliers and sustainable practices including a �sustainable fish� tasting menu.

Now in their 6th year, the prestigious awards are a mark for excellence recognised across the industry.

Commenting on the success of last night�s awards, Visit London�s Interim CEO Sally Chatterjee said: �The BT Visit London awards last night celebrated the best of the tourism industry from accommodation to attractions and events to eating out. Tourism is a hugely important part of London�s economy and I would like to thank all the organisations that work so hard to make London such an incredible city.�

Tony Hadley, lead singer of Spandau Ballet, also received an Outstanding Achievement Award at the event in recognition for his contribution to London�s music scene.

The award ceremony was hosted by Magic 105.4 More Music breakfast host Neil Fox with support from Justin Wilkes and Neev from Kiss 100. Guest presenters included singer Kim Wilde and paralympian Ade Adepitan.

Neil Fox, Magic 105.4 More Music Breakfast Host commented: �London is the greatest city on earth and I am delighted to host this amazing awards event celebrating all the people and places that make the capital so special.�

The Visit London Awards comprise 14 industry-judged entries, ranging from Large Hotel of the Year to the Sports Tourism Award. The awards also included four people�s choice awards; Best Family Fun and Best London for Free Experience sponsored by the London Evening Standard, London�s Hottest Music Event sponsored by Kiss 100 and the London�s Hero award sponsored by Magic 105.4.

ENDS

Photos available on request

Media enquiries: Visit London - Jacqueline French on 020 7234 5844 / 07920 759018 or jfrench@visitlondon.com Visit London is the official visitor organisation for London. A leader in best practice destination marketing, Visit London promotes the UK capital internationally, across Britain and to Londoners targeting leisure and business visitors. Visit London works in partnership with the Mayor of London, the London Development Agency, London Councils and the tourism industry.

BT Visit London Awards 2009 Winners

Outstanding Achievement - Tony Hadley Tony Hadley is a Patron of the following charities: The Whittington's Hospital Charitable Trust 'Building for Babies Appeal', The Lowe Syndrome Trust, The Shooting Star Hospice and The Huntingdon's Disease Association.

He is also an Ambassador of the Action Medical Research 'Touching Tiny Lives' Campaign and for this he has undertaken three Treks - The Inca Trail in Peru, The Lost World in Venezuela and has trekked from the Pacific coast to the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. In so doing he has raised in excess of �600,000. He is a regular member of the Arsenal Celebrity Soccer Team, once again raising many thousands of pounds for the Arsenal Charities. He has for the last 19 years had a fantastic solo career and although performing over 200 shows each year has also managed to find time to play for our troops in Bosnia, Kosovo, Kuwait, Cyprus, Germany, Northern Island and The Falklands Islands. He is currently back on tour with Spandau Ballet after a twenty year break.

People�s Choice Awards

Evening Standard�s Best Family Fun Award Wicked the Musical

Evening Standard�s Best London for Free Experience Natural History Museum

Kiss 100�s Hottest Music Event West End Live

Magic 105.4�s London�s Hero - Emma De Souza As organiser of Kids Week in London's West End, Emma is dedicated to bringing London theatre to a younger generation. Her commitment and enthusiasm have helped increase Kids Week ticket sales from a few thousand in the initial years to 51,000 this year. After Emma's son was treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital, she was inspired to use Kids Week events to raise money for the hospital.

Industry Awards

Accessible Tourism Award Gold � St Martin-in-the-Fields Silver � Greenwich+Docklands Festivals Bronze � The British Postal Museum & Archive

Sustainable Tourism Award Gold � Cavendish Conference Venues Silver � ExCeL London Bronze � Cavendish Hotel

Business Venue of the Year Gold � ExCeL London Silver � Natural History Museum Bronze � Cavendish Conference Venues

Corporate Event of the Year Gold � ExCeL London � The London Summit: Growth, Stability & Jobs Silver � The Brewery � Glaston-Brewery Bronze � Maybourne Hotel Group � Event Organisers Party at the Berkeley, 6 April 2009

Consumer Event of the Year Gold � Greenwich+Docklands Festival � Greenwich+Docklands International Festival Silver � Winter Wonderland Bronze � Westminster City Council � West End Live

Sports Tourism Award Gold � England and Wales Cricket Board � ICC World Twenty20 England 2009 Silver � Arsenal Football Club / Emirates Stadium � Emirates Cup 2008 Bronze � Chelsea Football Club � Chelsea Football Club Stadium Tours and Museum

Marketing/PR Campaign of the Year Gold � Natural History Museum � Darwin Exhibition Silver � Historic Royal Palaces: Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace � Henry 500 Bronze � Westfield � Launch of Westfield London

Best Gastronomic Experience Gold � Bingham Silver � Paternoster Chop House Bronze � Vinopolis

Outstanding Customer Service Award Gold �The Cavendish Hotel � Operations Team Silver �Royal College of Physicians � Meetings and Events team Bronze � National Maritime Museum � Nicholas Babbs

Budget Accommodation of the Year Gold � Generator Hostel London Silver � Palmers Lodge Boutique Backpackers Bronze � Think Apartments Limited

Large Hotel of the Year Gold � Grosvenor House, A JW Marriott Hotel Silver � InterContinental London Park Lane Bronze � The Athenaeum

Small Hotel/B&B of the Year Gold � Bingham Silver � The Colonnade Bronze � SACO Holborn/SACO Serviced Apartments

Visitor Attraction of the Year Gold �National Maritime Museum Silver � ZSL London Zoo Bronze � Imperial War Museum London

Best Tourism Experience Gold � National Maritime Museum Silver � Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms Bronze � BBC Tours

About Visit London Visit London is the official visitor organisation for London. A leader in best practice destination marketing, Visit London promotes the UK capital internationally, across Britain and to Londoners targeting leisure and business visitors. Visit London works in partnership with the Mayor of London, the London Development Agency, London Councils and the tourism industry.

For broadcast-standard video of London, please visit www.thenewsmarket.com/visitlondon. If you are a first-time user, please take a moment to register. Visit London footage is free for all editorial purposes.