Movie night pick and mix

Sweets and films have gone together for most of the history of the cinema, but it was not always so.

How sweets got into the cinema

In the early days, cinemas did not sell food, and they were hostile to food being brought in, which was often sold by vendors outside. During the Great Depression, cinemas added snack stands of their own as a way to raise money in hard times, and by the 1930s they were a main fixture. Snacks at such stands usually cost more than elsewhere, which is why they bring in a significant share of a venue's money.

In the Second World War, sugar rationing made sweets scarce at American cinema counters, and popcorn stepped in: Americans ate three times as much popcorn as before.

At the cinema counter

Chocolate coated peanuts have a reputation in many countries as a cinema counter treat: see chocolate peanuts

Cinemas in Britain have sold loose pick and mix from open bins, and in 2020 Covid guidance made them remove open, self service sweets: see the pick and mix hygiene debate

Your own movie night mix

At home you can build the mix you want, by the 100 g:

• Something chewy. We sell Golden Bears and Cola Bottles.
• Something sour. For a sharp change of pace: we sell Sour Cherries.
• Something chocolate. We sell Milk Chocolate Raisins.

Every card opens up to show the full ingredients and allergens for the sweets we actually stock, which matters when you are sharing a bowl: see pick and mix and allergies

How much to get

Sellers' guides suggest about 100 to 250 g per adult and 50 to 75 g per child, so a kilo covers four to ten people: see how much pick and mix do you need per person?

For more ideas, see pick and mix party ideas

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