A-List Film Snacks as Electric Cinema Goes Local
The famous Electric Cinema in Birmingham, the UK’s oldest working cinema, has added another quirk for film fans – locally made popcorn flavoured fudge.
The Electric Cinema, on Station Street, banned popcorn from its screens because of the noise and mess, but following a meeting with food group HEART of ENGLAND fine foods (HEFF), a fun and tasty solution has been found.
Sam Bishop from The Electric Cinema contacted the HEFF Trading Desk, a one stop shop for sourcing local food and drink, to source some local snack products suitable to be eaten in the dark that would create minimum noise when eaten.
The Trading Desk team set to work on looking to source suitable products to present to Sam and within a week showcased a range of samples along with prices and delivery information.
Three producers were successful in gaining a listing; Cake Aspirations, Chokolit and Tropical Tastes. The Trading Desk team also identified three other HEFF members’ products already on the menu; Hogan’s Cider, Purity Brewing and Just Rachel Quality Desserts. Products from all six producers will all now be promoted through point of sale material from the Trading Desk as ‘Try Something Local’.
As a result of the showcase, Ross-on-Wye based Cake Aspirations are now making a bespoke popcorn flavoured fudge to bring the popcorn flavour back to the Electric Cinema, without the noise and mess of the traditional bagged popcorn. Cake Aspirations has also been shortlisted for a HEFF Diamond Award for its Vanilla Fudge. The winners will be announced at the Diamond Awards Gala Dinner on Saturday 12 May.
Mr Bishop said: “The HEFF Trading Desk was invaluable in me being able to add the kind of products and choice I wanted at my venue. I had very specific requirements for my menu and it was thanks to the advice and resources of the Trading Desk that I was able to achieve exactly what I wanted.
“I am very proud to be offering locally produced products and we have found that our customers are very proud to be buying them!”
HEFF Supply Chain Development Manager Jon May said: “The HEFF Trading Desk allows us to assist buyers in sourcing local food and drink whilst helping producers expand markets and maximise profits. The Electric Cinema has seen the benefits already of working with small, flexible businesses which are better able to adapt to fit the needs of the buyer.”
For more information about the HEFF Trading Desk call the team on 01743 452812.