Allowed to take own snacks into Vue cinemas

Look at the bottom thing in this article (the whole thing is interesting, so read the rest too :tongue:

). It says that Vue said, in response to "Why do you overcharge for stuff?", that "food and drink is an optional extra and customers are free to take their own snacks in". Has anyone done this? Would you risk being thrown out by getting into an argument with whoever's on the door?

One thing that makes me wary is that that above bit isn't quoted, only the bit saying "Vue's pricing of retail items is in line with other out-of-home entertainment venues." is, and even then all of this is from an anonymous spokesman.

I'd always assumed we couldn't take our own stuff into the screens (at least, not with it on show when walking in :colone:

), and the fact they charge so much when you can often buy the same stuff for far less just a few minutes walk away would seem to dictate they can't charge so much and allow people to take their own stuff in?

Reply 1

Tommyjw

18

Worked at two, showcase and vue, cinemas and neither cared at all, they tell us that and they tell others that.

Ive constantly seen people with it fairly obvious in bags, other blatantly carrying it in etc and no1 cares and i have always done the same

The only thing they wont like is hot food from other places and food that would likely disrupt others like a massive thing of garlic bread or some other smelly ****.

Cinemas over-charge on food because they get soo little revenue themselves from ticket sales, just as a little point.

Reply 2

Kazbian

10

I often take food/drink into the cinema. It's usually in my bag so not that noticeable, but nobody really seems to care.

Reply 3

Hopple

OP

18

Original post by Tommyjw

Worked at two, showcase and vue, cinemas and neither cared at all, they tell us that and they tell others that.

Ive constantly seen people with it fairly obvious in bags, other blatantly carrying it in etc and no1 cares and i have always done the same

The only thing they wont like is hot food from other places and food that would likely disrupt others like a massive thing of garlic bread or some other smelly ****.

Cinemas over-charge on food because they get soo little revenue themselves from ticket sales, just as a little point.

Original post by Kazbian

I often take food/drink into the cinema. It's usually in my bag so not that noticeable, but nobody really seems to care.

It must be people like me then, assuming they won't let me in, though I don't buy their stuff anyway because it is bloody expensive. I imagine if lots of people did it openly they might change, since it's a very precarious revenue stream relying on people assuming they can't. I suppose you get used to restaurants, with no outside food allowed XD

Reply 4

CLARA_

12

I take food in all the time! I've never had any problem with it and cinema food is so overpriced :biggrin:

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 5

didgeridoo12uk

16

i always go sainsburys and buy loads of sweets and popcorn there first. nobody has ever questioned me taking them in

Reply 6

tehforum

20

If you take a bag, shove all your food in there and walk in.

Reply 7

Tiger Rag

22

Never had a problem with taking my own food in.

Reply 8

Hopple

OP

18

Just me who is too chicken then, though at least not as bad as a couple of my friends who almost always buy a drink XD

Also, I don't need tips on how to sneak stuff in :tongue:

Reply 9

theonefrombrum

15

I don't really get to the cinemas much these days but I used to always take my own food and drink in and just put it in my bag. They didn't care because even though they work there, they're still people earning an average wage who will be as aware as any of us cinema goers at how expensive the food sold there is and will completely understand any plans to circumvent paying for it by adopting the seemingly terrorist strategy of walking in to the screens with a backpack and nervous glances around.

Reply 10

Katie_p

15

I was told to leave a bag outside the screen in the evening at a CIneworld once. I was annoyed because it wasn't sweets, it was my tea.

Reply 11

Hearty_Beast

12

As long as you're discrete - and don't eat anything that disrupts other customers, they don't care.

Reply 12

Whostolemycookie

2

I always stuff the food in my school bag so you'll usually see me and my friends/family with overly stuffed bags full of junk food from the tesco's across the cinema . They don't really give a **** but some places are kinda bitchy about the whole things, my friend told me she once got stopped and they actually confiscated her food

Reply 13

sliceofcake

15

Original post by didgeridoo12uk

i always go sainsburys and buy loads of sweets and popcorn there first. nobody has ever questioned me taking them in

I do this whenever I go. When I worked at Sainsburys there'd often be people coming in, buying sweets... and then shoving them inside their clothes >_>
When I went to the preview of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 they checked everyone's bags for cameras. They had to move the snacks out of the way to check for a camera in mine, no one cares. Take the crisps out of your jeans please.

Reply 14

Claire888

11

I always take my own stuff in, it is so much cheaper. I thought everyone did, are you seriously saying you have never taken anything in, even water?

Reply 15

Em_Huong

15

I'll bring food into cinemas if I remember to before hand, I've walked in with a Tesco bag and nobody has said anything. They rather you didn't but I doubt they would throw you out for bringing in snacks.

Reply 16

Battenberg

14

We weren't sure if it was allowed at our cinema in so one guy stuffed all the snacks into a big coat he was wearing and we tried to get it in that way to be safe. Security stopped us thinking it was some kind of explosive and they were clearly relieved when he opened the coat and popcorn and Haribo went everywhere. Moral of the story, that's NOT the way to get food into the cinema.

Reply 17

Tahooper

17

Me and my friends bought popcorn and drinks from poundland before going to the cinema and they made me the mule and carry all their food/drinks in a massive plastic bag with 'POUNDLAND' on it.

Got in fine :borat: