A Ribble Valley restaurant is celebrating after winning a whopping three awards in a week.

La Locanda in Gisburn won a Ribble Valley Business Award, an Ospitalita’ Italiana Award and was given a certificate of achievement from Hardens Guide.

At the Ribble Valley Business Awards the Italian restaurant, owned by Cinzia and Maurizio Bocchi, won best hospitality business.

Star businesses across the Ribble Valley gathered together and shone brightly at the incredible awards ceremony sponsored by East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce.

It was attended by Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans and Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson MP, who joined award finalists, judges and award category sponsors.

Lancashire Telegraph: (L to R) Jo Ogle, Sarah Valentine, Maurizio Bocchi and Amanda Oldroyd, at the Ribble Valley Business Awards(L to R) Jo Ogle, Sarah Valentine, Maurizio Bocchi and Amanda Oldroyd, at the Ribble Valley Business Awards (Image: Maurizio Bocchi)

The business was also given an Ospitalità Italiana award, a certification that highlights the best Italian restaurants around the world, those which seek to defend and protect Italian cuisine and preserve its history, culture, quality and authenticity.

The business has been an annual recipient of the award since 2010.

Finally, the business has also been given the certificate of achievement for ‘very high quality food’ from the trusted Hardens Guide survey for 2023.

This rating is based on real reviews through Harden’s own annual national diner’s poll.

Commenting on La Laconda, the Harden’s review says: “Think of La Locanda as small agriturismo restaurant somewhere rural in the northern half of Italy, but which has somehow materialised in a weaver’s cottage in the Ribble Valley, on the main E-W route of the A59, and you’ll get an idea of what the Bocchis are about.

“Maurizio cooks, Cinzia serves (loudly). Fresh produce in virtually all dishes is locally sourced, the meats usually from a local organic farm a couple of miles away.

“Drinks are resolutely Italian. Don’t ask for Coke: they don’t have it, but they have a couple of Italian colas, among the intriguing soft drinks list.

“The same goes for the lengthy beer list, and the oenophiliac delight that is the wine list. What a wine list.

“Wines I have never seen anywhere else in this country, and in all the years I’ve been going to La Locanda, not a single disappointing wine.

“While the wine list explores every corner of Italy, the food, or at least the cooking, tends to focus more on the rustic styles of the north, particularly Lombardy and Piedmont.

“It's important to note that there is no pizza and there is definitely no garlic bread: this is an 'Italian' Italian, not a 'Britalian'.

“Cinzia runs front of house: some find her a bit abrupt, but she really isn’t: the problem is that she speaks Italian using English words”.

Commenting on the award wins La Locanda chef and chief proprietor, Maurizio said: “The Ribble Valley Business award was the cherry on the cake.

“Here at La Locanda we are committed to grow and be recognised as the BEST fine-dining Italian restaurant destination in Lancashire.

“Promising to offer a truly Italian meal that gives a flavour of the culture, heritage, tradition and hospitality of the place we are so proud to call our home.”