REAL ale enthusiasts will flock to Kendal as the Brewery Arts Centre goes back to its roots this weekend.

The Vats Bar at the former Vaux brewery site will play host to a beer festival which aims to showcase award-winning local beers from around South Lakeland.

It will feature ales from breweries at Hawkshead, Bowness, the Winster Valley, Ambleside, Coniston and Ings.

Neil Bowness, who has helped put the festival together, said: “Cumbria is quite unique in that we have something like 35 breweries, which is more per capita than any county in the UK.

“You would be amazed at the number of people who do not realise that this centre used to be a brewery, so to have a festival here to celebrate local breweries is fantastic.”

The three-day event is supported by CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, whose members will be hosting a series of tasting sessions Committee member David Currington said: “This event will attract lots of younger people and that is good because, as an organisation, we are trying to get younger people to appreciate that alcohol isn’t just about getting drunk – it is about appreciating aroma and taste.”