Luino, nothern Italy 1975; an eight-year-old girl is standing on a stool at the Fraquelli family cooker making supper for her mamma, papa, two brothers and sister.

Her mother can be found at the port town’s vibrant 450-year-old market, one of the biggest in Europe, buying ingredients for their family delicatessen shop at the foot of the mountains where little Cinzia serves customers at weekends.

Fast forward to 2009 and 42-year-old Cinzia Fraquelli-Bocchi is the proud owner of her own Italian restaurant in her new home of East Lancashire with husband of 20 years, Maurizio, 43.

After growing up in neighbouring villages on Lake Maggiore, learning the business and the artistry of cooking, the couple have brought their skills to England and made a new home in Burnley, where they live with their rescue dog Pepper.

And in December 2003 on Main Street, Gisburn, La Laconda — which literally translates as The Inn and is a traditional name for a small family run trattoria in Italy — was born.

Now five years on it has a reputation that stretches as far a London.

“Throughout Italy food is extremely important,” says Cinzia, her English wrapped in a romantic Italian accent.

“The ingredients, preparation and style of each dish has been passed down through generations.

“We love our Italy, our culture, our history, and our culinary traditions.

"We want to bring to our customers dishes prepared with the hospitality of Italy, from our kitchen, the heart of the home, with love.”

At La Laconda they like to cook in their wood-fired ovens and rely on fresh ingredients from the local area — beef and lamb from Ribble Valley and chicken from Kendal — plus a selection of Italian specialties shipped in from their home town of Luino and across Italy.

Maurizio makes 90 per cent of the restaurant’s pasta himself from scratch using an age-old family recipe handed down generations.

The secret ingredients were passed on from Maurizio’s mother Elide Facchini, who made pasta from home and supplied restaurants in their village.

Take a look at the authentic menu at La Laconda and you will not find garlic bread, pizza or spag boll.

For Maurizio says all these dishes are English interpretations of an ‘Italian’ meal.

Instead you will find a selection, which changes daily, made up of what the Italians are eating; steamed clams, penne pasta all’arrabbiata, veal marsala and risotto.

“We serve only traditional Italian cuisine,” says Maurizio, who also speaks with a beautiful Italian twang.

“It was a risk at first while people got used to it. We even had customers walk out when they couldn’t find pizza on the menu.

"It was hard to convince people but now it is our unique selling point.

"It’s a bit of a novelty and I think that’s where we compete with the bigger restaurants, because we are different,” he said.

“Some of our customers say coming here is like going on holiday to Italy itself,” Cinzia added.

”We are taking a group of customers out soon to show them the small family-run outlets and vineyards in Italy.

"Our customers have become like our second family so we like to show them where their food comes from,” she said.

With five members of staff including Maurizio’s nephew 18-year-old, Giuliano, the team work six days a week and only close on a Monday.

A sign on the wall reads “Our food is all made to order so it is worth the small wait.”