A TASTE of the UK's coastal breweries will make its way inland to feature at Kidderminster's beer festival.

This year's Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) event takes place from Thursday until Saturday, May 24, at Kidderminster Town Hall and will have an air of the seaside about it.

There will be 24 beers from 17 coastal breweries, alongside 24 local ales from 10 different breweries and 12 ciders and perries, as well as wines from Worcestershire and West Midlands-based vineyards.

For a second year in a row, Kemp Hospice has been chosen as the beer festival's charity. Kemp will have a stand in the town hall and a donations box for unused beer tokens will benefit its hospice and home appeal. More than £200 was raised for the cause at last year's event.

The festival starts next Thursday with a trade and members session between 4pm and 6pm, open to CAMRA members and invited local landlords and brewers. The doors then open to members of the public from 6pm until 11pm.

The next day will see doors open from 11am to 11pm. Saturday's opening hours will be the same or until the beer runs out - organisers warned half of the beers sold out during last year's event.

The Saturday's theme will be a day at the seaside and CAMRA staff are encouraging revellers to go dressed for the beach - in shorts, flip-flops and Hawaiian shirts, complete with straw hats or even the traditional knotted handkerchief.

Entertainment during Friday and Saturday will include singers GazRazz, tribal dance group Belly Fusion and band the Ranters. Food will be available throughout the event, provided by the Vicar Street-based Swan Inn.

The event is also being organised by DTZ, managing agents of Kidderminster's Swan Shopping Centre, which will provide the first 500 visitors with a stick of beer-flavoured seaside rock. Other sponsors and supporters include the Weavers micro-pub company, Cannon Royall Brewery and Wyre Forest District Council.