Gisburn's La Locanda crowned Britain's best local restaurant by the Good Food Guide
A family-run Italian restaurant in the Ribble Valley has been crowned the best local restaurant in the UK after picking up a prestigious national award.
La Locanda, in Gisburn, was named the overall winner of The Good Food Guide's Best Local Restaurant 2026, having already secured the title of North West Best Local Restaurant.
Owners Maurizio and Cinzia Bocchi received the awards during a ceremony at London's Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, on July 13, marking a major milestone for the restaurant they have built over more than two decades.
Chef Maurizio Bocchi said: “We are so happy. To be recognised by The Good Food Guide as the best local restaurant in the country is something we could only have dreamed of when we first opened our doors more than 20 years ago.”
The Good Food Guide's annual awards celebrate independent restaurants that have become the heart of their communities, with winners chosen through thousands of reader nominations before being anonymously assessed by inspectors.
The guide praised La Locanda for its warm hospitality and consistently high standards.
Editor Chloe Hamilton said: “There are no more deserving winners than Cinzia and Maurizio. The care and quality in everything they do is outstanding and so is their generosity of spirit that makes you feel part of the family. Lucky are the locals of Gisburn.”
The national recognition follows a string of successful years for the Ribble Valley restaurant, which has established itself as a destination dining venue attracting visitors from across Lancashire, the UK and beyond.
La Locanda has built its reputation by combining authentic Italian cooking with high-quality Lancashire produce, creating a menu that celebrates both the owners' Italian heritage and the wealth of local ingredients available in the Ribble Valley.
For Maurizio and Cinzia, the double success is also recognition of the people who have supported the business since it first opened.
They said the awards are a tribute not only to more than 20 years of hard work and dedication, but also to their staff, loyal customers and the local suppliers who have helped make La Locanda one of the country's most highly regarded independent restaurants.