All of them commented on its excellent service and levels of customer satisfaction.

The accolade has been given to Mr Patel by TheBestOf organisation, which publishes a comprehensive directory of top local businesses across the country and makes awards for a wide range of firms.

Mr Patel said: "I believe the basis of our success is customer service. It is as simple as saying if we give them good service they will continue to give us their custom.

"We do, of course, have to combine good service with a high standard of work and reliability.

"In 99 per cent of cases when we say a garment will be ready, it is ready, and if we cannot do that we let the customer know (by calling them)."

He added: "Customers don't want to be coming backwards and forwards before they can collect their clothes."

The 55-year-old is also convinced that his determination to keep up with changes has contributed to the continuing success of his business.

He said: "It can be a difficult job because things garments are made of are changing all the time and you have to adapt cleaning techniques.

"Most clothes now have labels on them saying how they should be cared for, but the fact is many of them are wrong and you have to rely on instinct and experience to get the finish customers expect."

He added: "I am still learning every day, even after 30 years in the business."

Mr Patel started his working life as an engineer but in the early 1980s entered the world of retail by buying a newsagents in Richmond.

The success of that was followed quickly when he took on a franchise of a nearby branch of Sketchley dry cleaners.

That was enough to give Mr Patel the dry cleaning bug and he branched out, opening his first independent business 30 years ago.

He took over Flamingo - which has been around for 40 years - ten years ago.

Maud Alleyne, who runs TheBestOf Croydon part of the national organisation, said: "It is absolutely brilliant to have such a high performing small business in Croydon."