British cinemas to ban popcorn

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LONDON : Munching popcorn at the movies could soon be a thing of the past in Britain as more cinemas are opting to ban the snack.

The Observer reported that this is due to a combination of health-conscious cinema goers rejecting sugar-coated, salted or butter-dripping popcorn and disgust at its distinctive smell.

Daniel Broch, the owner of the renowned Everyman cinema in London's Hampstead district, said, "I will de-popcorn every new venue I acquire. It has a disproportionate influence on the space in terms of its overwhelming smell, the cultural idea of it and the operational problems created by the mess it produces.

"I'm not saying no popcorn is better than popcorn," he added. "But I am saying there is no way in which it fits with the culturally sophisticated brand I wish to sell."

The Picturehouse Cinema, a chain of 19 cinemas across Britain, will experiment with popcorn-free screenings in September after audiences requested the ban. If successful, it will be rolled out across all its cinemas permanently.

However, there will still be a selected few that will continue to offer popcorn. The Curzon chain said it reinstated the snack in three of its cinemas after customers demanded it.
- CNA

(ETHANOL