ever taken your Own food and drink to the cinema?

mossstitchmama

We pop into the nearby Morrissons and buy two bags of their flavoured popcorn for the kids. I usually have a stack of pouch drinks at home so a couple each. I have a large handbag I specifically use for the cinema to accommodate the popcorn.

I have to take in a bottle of water as I have to take regular medication so I always have one with me.

The last time I forgot, it cost me £8 for a small pop corn cup and a little bottle of water. Never again!

sazaccount

My local cinema is £2.50 during the week (and £3.50 at the weekend ):T So for under a fiver I can get my ticket, a small popcorn and a drink!! If I'm going to a chain (odean, VUE etc) I always take my own drink and snack, but then I can't understand why my local independent one can charge so little yet the bigger ones charge sooooo much more for the same film!!

lostinrates

We rarely go to the cinema.

Last year when I was on a rather restricted diet I discovered cinema popcorn was something I could eat without upset, I bought it there, happily. More of a treat than the film tbh.

I don't often drink fizzy drinks etc, and have to drink lots of water, I take my own.

Most of the other food I'd be trepidatious about for me personally, health situation. Sometimes we'd eat before we go, otherwise we'd take other person considerate food in.( not smelly, quietly wrapped, easily divided...) ( which often is more than can be said for cinema food....smelly hot food, crunchy sharing food. Etc)

dollywops

Always take a bag of something to nosh.

Apart from last night. Went to Jimmy's first as I had a voucher for 50% off food. Friend and I were so full, chocolates were the last thing we needed! OH said that's why we don't go on cruises.

DigForVictory

Last we went to the cinema, my two sons were terrified I'd be stopped for having a can of fizzy pop in my coat pocket.
It so messed up the fun of a film that we've abandoned the Big Screen Experience & go bowling instead.
Now they're a bit older, they feel the overpriced drink is part of the Cinema Experience, & I've become a massive convert to the DVD...

peterpan01

DigForVictory wrote: »

Last we went to the cinema, my two sons were terrified I'd be stopped for having a can of fizzy pop in my coat pocket.

Yes, that's how i felt before reading this thread :j

jp1964

We always used to take sweets and drinks with us, the prices for food and drink in the cinema is shocking and I refuse to pay it.

Paying for the ticket is not exactly cheap, but if you choose to have a snack and drink bought at the cinema, that can take the whole experience beyond being remotely an affordable one, even for an 'average' family with two children.

If cinemas wanted to make more profit beyond what they make from ticket sales, it is not done by simply hiking up the prices of refreshments far beyond reasonable and into the realms of extortionate, were they to sell these at a competitive price, many more people like me would be spending more money within the cinema, so more profit in the long run.

When my children were young, we would go to the local shop beforehand, or get in sweets and drinks for a cinema trip from a supermarket, so that my 5 children could enjoy a snack whilst watching the film, that money would have been spent in the cinema had the prices been competitive, and would have been part of the treat for them.

If cinemas don't feel they are making enough profit, they only have themselves to blame, making a healthy profit is far removed from grossly overcharging your customers for something that they can buy far more cheaply elsewhere.

Fair pricing might just make a real difference.

Poochface

sazaccount wrote: »

My local cinema is £2.50 during the week (and £3.50 at the weekend ):T So for under a fiver I can get my ticket, a small popcorn and a drink!! If I'm going to a chain (odean, VUE etc) I always take my own drink and snack, but then I can't understand why my local independent one can charge so little yet the bigger ones charge sooooo much more for the same film!!

Independent cinemas are not charged the same by distributors as the big chains. Often they are run by volunteers and receive grants too.

Cornucopia

I *always* take my own food & drink to the cinema. I regard the over-priced refreshments + any ban on taking your own as being a potentially unfair contract term, and therefore ignore it. Never had any hassle from the staff.

The only exception is the new Baskin Robins ice cream concession (Cineworld), where they now have Flavour of the Month at a discount, which works out to a very reasonable £1.13 with the discount from my Unlimited card.

The only downside is that the tills/the staff are completely unable to cope with the combination of FotM + a Large Waffle Cone. I've had 5 or 6 different approaches ranging from refusal to sell through to free upgrade, volunteered without me asking.

abacab

I think this was covered on Watchdog a while back.
All chains climbed down and said own food and drinks are allowed when they were challenged.
Ours have signs up,but I've never seen it enforced.
Was stopped in a retail park Cineworld near Bristol once.
The spotty herbert told me I would have to leave for collection after the film.
"Oh,I'll take them back to car then"I exclaimed.
Walked out,walked back in with all items under a coat,went to a different youth,and was in!