London's leading chefs and restaurants have backed the Evening Standard's Water On Tap campaign to make asking for and drinking tap water socially acceptable in every eating and drinking venue.

Tom Aikens, Jamie Oliver and Anthony Worrell Thompson have all added their weight to the drive, which was launched yesterday.

Companies and restaurants who join the campaign will sign a pledge to offer and serve free tap water to customers without prejudice.

Hundreds of restaurants, from Michelin-starred venues to major chains, have already signed up.

Michelin-starred chef Aikens said: "It's not at all difficult for restaurants to do this and our staff now offer tap water automatically.

"We really need to change the mindset of both customers and restaurants and people need to be re-educated to how good London tap water actually is.

"I've always drunk it at home and we hope more and more of our customers will start doing that as well."

Restaurants including Claridge's, Mon Plaisir and Kensington Square were among the first to sign up.

Oliver's London restaurant Fifteen also today backed the campaign.

A Fifteen spokeswoman said: "Our guests feel free to choose between bottled or tap water.

"We're all for removing the stigma of asking for tap water if it improves the overall dining experience."

Worrell Thompson pledged to serve tap water at all six of his restaurants.

"There's nothing wrong with tap water at all," he said.

"We have got a bit precious about bottled water. People pay a silly amount of money in supermarkets and in restaurants for bottled water which isn't necessarily better for you than the water which comes out of the tap."

Major restaurant chains have also pledged to offer tap water to their customers.

Eddie Gershon, spokesman for the JD Wetherspoon chain of pubs, said: "If someone walks in to one of our pubs and wants a jug of tap water then they would be served without any question at all. It has never been an issue." Sam Harrison, founder of Sam's Brasserie and Bar in Chiswick and Harrison's in Balham, said he fully supported the Standard's campaign.

He said: "I've always been a fan of New York restaurants where you pretty much get offered water as soon as you walk through the door.

"We designed the restaurants so that there's a tap and filled jugs at each waiter station so they don't have to dive behind the bar every time someone asks for tap water."

Bars and nightclubs also pledged to make tap water available for free.

"Its really a no-brainer for us to offer tap water," said Jonathan Downey, who owns several bars in London including the Match Bars and Milk and Honey. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with tap water and we've seen it can help keep people straight and sober as well."

Chris Calarco of nightclub 24:London said: "Traditionally, nightclubs have often refused to offer tap water but we wholeheartedly back the Evening Standard campaign and are more than happy to offer our customers tap water as an alternative to alcohol or bottled water."

Health food chain Pure California also pledged to refill customer's water bottles for free when they visit. Spokesman Spencer Craig said: "We have always been happy to offer our customerstap water free of charge and do what we can to limit our impact on the environment. We are delighted to support the Evening Standard initiative by making it clear to our customers that they can refill their bottles."

Link to:

Columnists

David Sexton

Be honest, you'd rather read Jordan than Cherie

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown

To save our kids, we must turn them over

Chris Blackhurst

Why the rich get richer while the rest sit it out

Pick of the blogs

Paul Waugh - Politics

How Sir Simon Milton could spare Boris's blushes

Jonathan Prynn - Consumer affairs

There's life left in this economy yet

Amar Singh - News

Britain's got talent ... but America's got jobs