A NEW Cheese and Chilli Festival looks set to get people’s taste buds tingling this weekend at Bournemouth Sports Club at Chapel Gate, from 10am to 6pm today and tomorrow.

The two-day festival promises to be a fun-filled day out for the whole family with an amazing array of tastes, colours and experiences. Traders will be selling an amazing array of chilli-based food and products from all over the world, as well as delicious local and regional cheeses to eat and take home, and live music.

Highlights include a free wine masterclass, a talk about cheese and beer combinations and, if you’re feeling brave, there is also a chilli eating contest.

And if you need to cool your palate afterwards, there is a Real Ale Festival hosted by Ringwood Brewery in the club house, featuring a huge selection of award-winning real ales, cider, wine and lager.

There’s plenty of entertainment for the kids with a monster inflatable slide, funfair, music bus, face-painting, balloon building, magic shows and a circus skills workshop. Admission is £5 per adult.

Children go free and parking is also free.

Simon Stewart, general manager for Bournemouth Sports Club and the festival organiser, said: “There is an annual cheese festival and a popular chilli festival in Dorset so I thought I would bring the two together.

“We are overwhelmed by the positive reaction from traders and entertainers.”