SEVERAL of East Lancashire’s finest establishments will be jostling for supremacy as the county’s top tourism attractions do battle early next month.

Record numbers of applications have been received for the 2014 Lancashire Tourism Awards - with applications up by 25 per cent year on year.

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And some of the area’s best-known hotel, holiday and restaurant names have been named as finalists.

They cover a range of categories, and will know their fate on October 3 at a Blackpool Tower ceremony.

Husband and wife Maurizio and Cinzia Bocchi, who first brought a taste of Lombardy to Gisburn at La Laconda Ristorante, 11 years ago, are hoping to secure the top spot, after first winning a Taste Lancashire award in 2009 and reaching the final reckoning last year.

Cinzia, whose Main Street eaterie has been given highly-assurred ratings by organisers since 2008, said: “We were the first ethnic cuisine restaurant to win the award.

“But while the best Parma ham must come from Italy, it has always been our aim to use the best local produce in our restaurant.”

Another East Lancashire nominee, The Millstone at Mellor, can also go one better, after being nominated in the award’s ‘best small hotel’ division. Chef patron Anson Bolton saw his popular five-star rated venue named ‘best tourism pub’ in 2012, and highly commended in the ‘small hotel’ section and Taste Lancashire award.

He said: “Three years ago we had the restaurant refurbished and this year we have had quite a lot spent on the bedrooms and we’ve got some really nice character rooms. But you cannot rest on your laurels.”

Anson will be vying with Gisburn’s Stirk House Hotel in his category, with the Spread Eagle at Sawley in the running for ‘best B&B guest accommodation’, nearby Ribblesdale Park contesting for best holiday park, and the Dunkenhalgh Hotel, Clayton-le-Moors, a finalist in the best large hotel sector.

Further recognition could be gleaned for East Lancashire with The Assheton Arms, in Downham, The Parkers Arms, in Newton-in-Bowland, and Roaming Roosters which is situatedat at Higham.