If it’s cold, it’s fair game at the big cinema chains (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)

We hate to break it to you, but you’ve probably never needed to stealthily sneak food into the cinema.

Stuffing popcorn into your bag or hiding a bag of sweets under your top has become a traditional part of going out to see a film.

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But, depending on the rules of your local cinema, all those times you sneaked food inside may have been completely unnecessary.

It’s widely believed that food and drinks that haven’t been bought on the premises aren’t allowed once you sit in front of the screen.


But Cineworld, the most common chain of cinemas in the UK, is more relaxed about it than you might think.

You are allowed to take most food and drinks into cinemas after all (Picture: Getty)

While hot food and alcohol are banned, there are no restrictions on bringing cold food into a Cineworld cinema.



Cineworld’s website states: ‘Cineworld has a strict no hot food or alcohol policy. We reserve the right to refuse customers entry into the screens with hot food or alcohol bought outside the premises. All our cinemas display the necessary signage, advising customers of this policy.

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‘As a food operator we offer a wide range of drinks and snacks to satisfy our customers but also protect our cinema furnishings and customers clothing. Not all movie-goers are considerate of others in their snack choices and we have needed to set clearer guidelines on what is appropriate.’

It’s the same story with cinemas owned by Vue.

The company’s website says: ‘We allow food from outside to be eaten in our cinemas with the exception of hot food or alcohol.’

You’ve got plenty more options than popcorn (Picture: Getty)

And if you’re worried about whether you can bring your own snacks to an Odeon cinema, don’t be.

In a tweet from 2015, Odeon told a customer: ‘You can bring your own food/drink as long as it’s not hot or alcoholic.’

If your local theatre is independently run, it’s best to check their policy before you turn up armed with enough sweets to feed an army.

But in most cases, you can proudly show off all the food you like as you stroll in – as long as it’s not hot, you won’t be stopped.