An award-winning Italian restaurant in East Lancashire is set to close temporarily later this year – but they are offering an exciting experience during their four-week closure.
La Laconda of Gisburn, in Main Street, will be closed for almost the whole of October for a refurbishment.
They will close on October 3 and reopen to customers on Tuesday, November 1.
Owners, Cinzia and Maurizio Bocchi, said the restaurant will be closed so a “state of the art” kitchen can be fitted.
Cinzia said: “We are getting a new state of the art kitchen – and it’s a big investment.
“It will give us the facilities to cook more dishes and create more homemade ingredients.
“We will also be improving our carbon footprint as we will be using renewable energy, going from LPG cooking to induction cooking.
“We are very excited for the next step in our business and to improve our service and the experience for the customer.”
During this time, customers will still be able to grab a taste of Italy as they offer a unique dining experience offering to come to your house, cook up a feast and teach you some tips and tricks about the art of Italian cooking.
The experience will be available during weekends for up to 10 people.
It will cost £600, plus the cost of ingredients, with Maurizio and Cinzia cooking up an Italian meal of your choosing.
Cinzia says the experience will last around six hours, but could be even longer or shorter depending of the type of dish you want to be made.
She said: “It’s kind of a cooking demonstration and afterwards we will serve the dish.
“We can also pair some wine with the dishes and explain more about the history of the food and drink.
“It’s the kind of experience where people can learn more about what it takes to create and authentic Italian dinner.”
The couple offered an experience like this several years ago and said it presented its own challenges.
Cinzia said: “It was an interesting and challenging experience for us. Home facilities are not like those at a restaurant
“However, we like to stay with the customer and interact with them
“It’s a very nice experience for us.
“We will leave everything clean and as we found it, of course.
“We are looking forward to it and can’t wait to try something different.”
The small restaurant has scooped multiple awards over the years. Most recently they received a surprise award at the Lancashire Tourism Awards for their outstanding contribution to Taste Lancashire.
It’s not the only award they have received as they are regular recipients of the 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.
La Locanda can also be found in the Michelin Great Britain Restaurant Guide as well as Harden’s Guide.
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