National recognition in 2026 Good Food Guide as Rosebud alumnus La Locanda voted No1 in Great Britain

La Locanda has been named the best local restaurant in Great Britain by The Good Food Guide, adding one of the hospitality industry’s most prestigious honours to its growing collection of accolades. 

The family-run Italian restaurant in Gisburn was ranked number one in The Good Food Guide’s 100 Best Local Restaurants 2026. It was named the overall winner for Great Britain and also secured the title of North West Best Local Restaurant. 

Owners Maurizio and Cinzia Bocchi received the double accolade at an awards ceremony held at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, on 13 July 2026. 

The annual awards celebrate the independent restaurants at the heart of their communities. The list is shaped by tens of thousands of nominations from diners, followed by anonymous visits from The Good Food Guide’s nationwide network of inspectors. 

For the first time in 2026, the 100 restaurants were placed in a national ranking, with La Locanda taking the top position as a new entry. The guide praised the restaurant’s combination of authentic regional Italian cooking, carefully selected ingredients, local Lancashire produce and warm, personal hospitality. 

Maurizio said: “We are so happy. To be recognised is something we could only have dreamed of.” 

The achievement marks the latest in a long line of top accolades for La Locanda, which Maurizio and Cinzia opened in 2003. 

The restaurant was named the winner of the Environmental, Social and Governance Award at the 2026 Red Rose Awards, while Maurizio was also selected as a national finalist in VisitEngland’s Tourism Superstar 2026 competition. 

La Locanda has received numerous awards for its food, hospitality and environmental work over more than 20 years. These include repeated recognition at the PAPA Industry Awards, Taste Lancashire Awards and VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, as well as the Ospitalità Italiana certification for authentic Italian hospitality. 

Despite its national profile, the restaurant has remained firmly rooted in Gisburn and the wider Lancashire community. Its seasonal menus bring together traditional dishes from regions across Italy with produce sourced from trusted Lancashire farmers, growers and suppliers. 

The restaurant has also made sustainability central to the way it operates. Its work has included moving to a gas-free kitchen, installing solar panels and energy-efficient equipment, sourcing electricity predominantly from renewable energy, and significantly reducing food and general waste. 

Chloe Hamilton, Editor of The Good Food Guide, said: “There are no more deserving winners than Cinzia and Maurizio.” 

She praised the care and quality evident across the restaurant, as well as the generosity and sense of family that Maurizio and Cinzia offer their customers. 

Rosebud has supported La Locanda at important stages of its development, providing loans in 2022 and 2023. The funding helped the restaurant invest in its operations and progress a number of its environmental and energy-efficiency improvements. 

Martin Emmott, Fund Manager at Rosebud, said: “La Locanda’s success is a brilliant example of what can happen when ambition, quality and a clear sense of purpose are sustained over the long term. 

“Maurizio and Cinzia have built a restaurant that is proudly rooted in Lancashire while offering a genuinely authentic Italian experience. Their commitment to their customers, team, suppliers and the environment is evident in everything they do. 

“We are extremely proud to have supported their journey. To see them named the number one local restaurant in Great Britain is a remarkable achievement and thoroughly deserved recognition for more than 20 years of dedication.”