“Better eating at the cinema” to move away from industrial, fatty and sugary products, and return to local productions

The early summer weather may be tempting you to go to the movies. An association supports theater owners who sell healthier products before the session.

When you create a canvas for yourself, you can avoid the fateful popcorn, very sugary candies, industrial biscuits or products that are too fatty. Better Eating at the Cinema is both a website, a competition launched three years ago, and an association. Its president, Carole Scotta had the idea because she loves quality cinema and good food:

“I have always found it curious that arthouse cinemas, in particular, which have quality programming, do not have a suitable confectionery offering. Why not offer products that are less sweet, less salty, less fatty?”

This year, 70 products were in the running to enter cinemas. Healthy, delicious, responsible products to remunerate their manufacturer well, and which can be eaten without noise, without crumbs, and without unpleasant odor. They can be integrated as a complementary offer to what already exists in cinemas.

To chair the jury, a starred chef, Christophe Saintagne: “When I was a child, I went to the cinema with my big brother, and I found the way he ate a chocolate bar heroic! Today, we have let big industry do too much. We can relocate and give markets to independents. For example, those we awarded invented a puffed chickpea. It’s a perfect answer.

Because the problem for the room operator is to have products which can be preserved, sold at acceptable prices, and which do not require specially adapted staff. Among the winners, the puffed chickpea, which Christophe Saintagne mentioned, is made in Beaujolais, but also dried pears from Lot-Garonne, shortbread prepared in Montpellier or cakes made in Nancy.

Next year, “Better Eating at the Cinema” intends to be promoted on the Croisette, at the Cannes Film Festival.