A new addition to Maidstone's Royal Star Arcade is offering an alternative from standard bars in the town.

Visitors to 4Degrees Craft Bar & Restaurant will find Kentish craft beer, artisan coffee and homemade pies.

The opening night of the venue earlier this month went down a storm, with every seat in the house taken.

The bar is owned by Timothy Gough and David Hitch, both 32 and former estate agents, who saw the potential in the vacant unit in one of Maidstone’s oldest shopping centres.

The venue opens from 11am and closes at 11pm on Thursday and Friday, midnight on Saturday — with the centre staying open late specially — and 5pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Mr Gough, of Otham, said: “We fell in love with the romance of the place. It’s been really well received and people have been telling us its exactly what the town needs. There’s no Fosters or Heineken in sight and instead we focus on less mainstream products.”

He said there are plans to run tasting evenings, singles nights and live music events.

Included in the bar’s selection is beer and wine from Tenterden’s Chapel Down brewery, Kent Brewery’s highly popular Prohibition, a range of beers from Westerham Brewery as well as coffee, pies and cakes from local producers.

In total 4Degrees has the facilities to serve 12 beers.