Many movie-goers (myself included) can’t sit down to catch a flick without one or more treats at the ready. Popcorn and boxes of candy are popular options at the theater, with concession stands upping their game and offering a broader range of gourmet creations. However, there are scores of cinematic treats where food isn’t just playing a supporting role—they’re the star of the show.

Are you in the mood for a movie? If so, consider the titles on this list, just a taste of the films featuring snacks, bakery goods, and candy.

The Baker: Titular character Pappi (Ron Perlman) finds his adorable daughter threatened by gangsters. As you might expect from a film starring Perlman, Harvey Keitel, and other rough-and-tumble actors, things do not go smoothly, and there’s as much blood flying around as there is flour—IMDB’s one-word content guidance under “violence and gore” is “severe” in case you’re squeamish. Streaming on Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+

Chocolat: The cast is as delicious as the candies in this sweet Oscar-winning movie—Juliette Binoche leads the way as chocolatier Vianne, with castmates including Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, Johnny Depp, and other notable thespians. The shop shakes up the conservative French town, and more than one villager finds their lives transformed by the delicacies. Streaming on Paramount+, MGM+, Prime Video

Snack Shack: In the early 1990s, two best pals are given the enviable job of running the concessions counter at the local public pool. Because they’re teen boys, shenanigans ensue, but along with the naughty escapades (it is rated R, after all), they and their fellow kids up end up swallowing as many life lessons as they do Doritos. Streaming on Apple TV, Prime Video, MGM+

Making pretzels is in Justin Spannuth’s blood—literally. The COO of Unique Snacks is the latest in a long, long line of Spannuths to take up the craft of pretzel making. While he learned the trade from all the pretzel-making members of his family before him, he’s currently preparing the next generation to carry on the salty legacy. Here, he shares his story, in his own words.

Making pretzels is in Justin Spannuth’s blood—literally. The COO of Unique Snacks is the latest in a long, long line of Spannuths to take up the craft of pretzel making. While he learned the trade from all the dough-twisting members of his family before him, he’s currently preparing the next generation to carry on the salty legacy. Here, he shares his story in his own words.

History
The Spannuth family's history of making pretzels goes back to the late 1800's. At some point between the late 1800's and when our second generation incorporated in 1921 as Unique Pretzel Bakery, Inc, pretzel making for our family went from being a second job or hobby into a real business. My grandfather, the fourth generation of Spannuth family to make pretzels, made our original Splits by accident in the 1950s, as he was a one-man show in his garage-sized bakery and fell behind in what he was doing, causing the pretzels to burst open on the surface when he baked them. That pretzel garnered a bunch of positive feedback from his regular customers, causing him to figure out what he did and duplicate it. For a few years, that version of his original pretzel he called 'Mistakes' before he figured with the way they were selling, he better give them a better name. That is what really began the journey of what people know Unique Snacks for today.

My dad, the fifth generation, started twist tying bags as a child while the family lived next door to the oversized garage we called a bakery. As he got older and our Splits products gained popularity we moved to our current location in 1980 and he took over growing the company from an antiquated version of mass production to a real pretzel oven supplied by our neighbors, Reading Pretzel Machinery (now Reading Bakery Systems). As a child, in the 80's and early 90's, I spent many days over the summer in the break room and conference room.

When I wasn't a distraction to many of our employees, and I'm sure they'd consider it a nuisance, I got pretty good at paper football and Game Boy. I started in the business following my high school graduation. I had no plans to join the company but life got in the way of what I wanted and the solution was what I needed. Starting as a mixer and learning every role in production over a 10-year period I learned a lot about machinery and product. We were only 17 employees at that time and I had no formal training so most lessons were learned the hard way. In 2008 I started in the business side of the company and that's when the real lessons of the industry started. Needless to say, I'm still learning.

Growth
The first steps to growth were to begin the journey of not looking like a Pennsylvania Dutch brand and start to look like we belonged on shelves outside of Pennsylvania. Those shifts in marketing and appeal really started to show our company growth. In 2010, I invented the Pretzel Shells, which were an attempt to make a high-quality version of our Splits into a bite-sized shape. The struggle of achieving what I wanted led to making the hollow bite-size pocket they became when we launched them.

Since then, most of our product development has come from knowing our strengths of baking and using them to develop products that our competitors couldn't duplicate. Still being a small family-owned business, the ability for professional market research and consumer testing hasn't been a part of our practice. Most times it comes down to our own judgement of taste and preference and trying to assume what our customers would like. As we grow these processes are changing to be sure we are more strategic.

Giving back
In a family business, the exposure to other companies is difficult. Learning our industry as well as best practices in business in general, needs to be learned but often not available without getting exposure through outside groups, forums, and trade associations. I love to learn and grow, and as I started to meet so many other great family-owned business owners in my same space, SNAC International really started to become one of my favorite places to be. Stepping into the chairman role wasn't something I necessarily desired, but as the opportunity presented itself, I figured it was just one more way to grow. It was definitely outside my comfort zone, but after two years, I know the growth in myself was tremendous. That growth transcends into my own business as a leade,r allowing me to look at things differently as well as have a new level of professional confidence.

Favorite things
Outside of regulatory pressure, the snack industry is such an amazing industry. You get the ability to be creative in products and marketing, learn manufacturing, and mostly get to share your product with so many people. When you make a treat that people enjoy, it is fun to hear their stories of times with family or friends that involve your products. 

I love all of our products for different reasons. The Splits are still a staple. It is the most difficult pretzel in the market to make and its quality of flavor and texture is truly Unique. Shells was my first successful product launch and really gave me my first shot to show what I can do as I was growing into our family business. The Knead'ems sourdough mini pretzels are my new favorite but the verdict is still out on whether or not it's because they’re new. SF&WB