Revellers at The Phoenix Tavern will be hollering “may the best beard win” tonight, with their unusual competition for charity.

Whether it’s a ’tache, a goatee, Father Christmas-esque beard, whiskers or merely a bit of fluff, the pub in Abbey Street has lined up a whole host of fabulous facial hair.

Charitable landlord David Selves is hoping to raise hundreds of pounds for Pilgrims Hospice by people paying £1 to vote for their favourite beard or £5 to enter the beard competition themselves.

The winner – who owns the beard which attracts the most votes and therefore raises the most money – will be awarded with a Sunday lunch for two.

You definitely don’t have to be male to bring your ’mo to the party – women have made inventive beards for a chance to win the competition.

A quiz night, raising more money for the hospice, will take place tonight when the winner will be announced.

Landlord David Selves said: “It’s been fantastic! We now have a late entrant on 157, a lady with a knitted beard and a youngster with a bubble beard on 75. We use the Independent State of Phoenix as our charity arm and it is in the unwritten constitution that we sell votes at elections and you can vote as often as you like for as many different people as you like! Our last presidential election saw a dog win!

“Sally has done a great job driving this forward and we’d now like help with a big final push via websites, social media, wireless, television and the good old fashioned word of mouth. Just get onto Justgiving and give, give give to the Beard of the Year!”

The quiz night starts at 7.30pm. For more information ring 01795 591462. To see the full list of beards and to vote visit www.thephoenixtavernfaversham.co.uk

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/Phoenix-Faversham/