An East Lancashire restaurant has been named one of the best in England, after coming home victorious from the Visit England Awards of Excellence.

La Laconda in Gisburn is one of three Lancashire businesses that has been recognised at the awards.

It received a bronze taste of England award and owners Cinzia and Maurizio Bocchi said they were “honoured” to receive it.

They said: “We are honoured to have been able to represent Lancashire at the Visit England Awards of Excellence 2024 and were delighted to have won the bronze taste of England award.

“It represents our passion and commitment to food heritage and is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team at La Locanda.

“This is not just a win for us, but also for our incredible local producers, and most importantly, the support of our wonderful customers and community.”

La Laconda has been on a winning streak in recent years coming home with several awards, including best Independent Italian Restaurant in the country and an Ospitalita’ Italiana award from Hardens Guide.

Other businesses in wider parts of Lancashire also won Visit England awards.

 Skelmersdale Secret Garden Glamping won a gold award for best camping, glamping, and holiday park of the year.

A spokesperson for the business, which appeared on Dragons Den this year, said: “This is an unbelievable honour to be awarded the best site in England!

“We do try our absolute best here and I can’t thank everyone enough who has helped to make this dream come true.”

Winter Gardens in Blackpool won a bronze award for business events venue of the year.

A spokesperson for Visit England said: “Our annual VisitEngland Awards for Excellence champion the very best of the country’s tourism industry – celebrating quality, innovation and customer service.

“Winning an award shows that your business is among the best in the country, and provides valuable media exposure, business development and networking opportunities.”