Independent businesses are celebrating being recommended by thousands of readers in a competition.

About 65,000 people voted for their favourite eateries in the Wimbledon area in the Time Out Love London awards this year.

The Hot Pink Grill in the Broadway, Coffee in the Wood in Colliers Wood and Merton Abbey Mills were among the independent businesses crowned winners.

Wimbledon Times:

Frankie Godding, left with Coffee in the Wood founder Sophie Godding and a squirrel mascot

The Garden Shed pub in Haydons Road, Wimbledon was also listed in the awards this month.

Richard Penrose, a team leader at the Hot Pink Grill, said: "It is an amazing achievement.

"We are surrounded by bigger businesses like Nando’s and Gourmet Burger Kitchen that could have easily beaten us.

"We do our best and the food is delicious."

The Hot Pink Grill has been open since April 2013 and prides itself on fresh ingredients from sustainable sources.

Sophie Godding, of Coffee in the Wood, said: "We are really excited, we weren’t expecting it, and it was a nice surprise."

The community cafe in Colliers Wood high street opened in September last year after Miss Godding found herself unhappy at college and decided to take a gamble and set up the cafe instead of going to university.

Runners-up in the awards included cafe Eggs Benedict in Merton High Street and Sticks ‘n’ Sushi in Wimbledon Hill Road, both in Wimbledon.

The awards were dished out at a ceremony in central London on last night.