Next Day UK delivery on orders by 12pm (T&Cs apply)
Next Day UK delivery on orders by 12pm (T&Cs apply)
The right takeaway container does three jobs at once: it keeps food hot (or cold), it stops leaks on the way to the customer, and it makes the meal look as good at the door as it did at the pass. For restaurants adding delivery or collection, choosing containers by dish rather than by price alone saves money on refunds, remakes and bad reviews.
This guide walks through the main container types we stock, what each one is best at, and how to build a small, sensible range that covers most menus.
Before ordering, group your dishes by how they behave in transit:
Each group needs a different container. Most restaurants can cover their whole menu with four or five lines.
Our round kraft deli bowls and rectangular kraft deli bowls are made from strong paperboard and suit rice dishes, pasta, salads and grain bowls. Round bowls in 500ml, 750ml and 1000ml sizes work well for single portions; the rectangular versions (650ml, 750ml and 1000ml) give a neater presentation for dishes with several components.
The black finish looks smart in the bag and photographs well for delivery apps. Pair them with matching lids so stacking in a delivery bag doesn’t crush the food.
When the food is the selling point, a clear lid helps. Our round black base containers with PP clear lids come in 24oz and 32oz sizes and are ideal for meal prep, poke and rice bowls. For set meals, the black base meal boxes have two- and three-compartment options with matching clear lids, keeping mains, rice and sides apart so nothing goes soggy.
Bagasse is made from sugarcane fibre left over after juice extraction. Our bagasse range includes 500ml, 850ml and 1100ml containers with matching lids, sized for curries, rice and pasta. Bagasse handles heat and moisture well and is a good choice if your customers expect plastic-free packaging. Read more in our compostable packaging guide.
Aluminium foil containers with poly coated lids hold heat well, seal tightly and are widely recyclable once clean. They are the default for many Indian and Chinese takeaways because they handle oil and sauce without softening. For larger orders and events, our gastronome foil trays and foil platters scale the same idea up.
Our takeaway kraft boxes, such as the No.5 (900ml) and No.8 (1250ml) food cartons in brown or white, fold shut without a separate lid and suit fried rice, noodles, chicken and street-food dishes. They are quick to pack during a rush and hold up well in delivery bags.
Liquids are where most leaks happen. Use purpose-made round soup containers (from 8oz to 32oz) with lids that press firmly into place, rather than trying to make a general-purpose bowl do the job. For dips and dressings, our sauce cups and lids come in 1oz, 2oz and 4oz sizes and help with portion control as well as stopping spills.
For salads, desserts and fresh food, see-through packaging helps customers check their order. Our hinged salad containers are made with recycled plastic (rPET), and our clear rectangular containers (500ml to 1000ml, with lids) are popular for meal prep and catering.
For more on this, see which takeaway containers stop leaks.
A typical restaurant adding delivery can start with:
Order by the case, track which sizes run out first, and adjust after a few weeks.
All of the containers above are sold by the case, with next-day UK delivery on orders placed by 12pm (T&Cs apply). Browse the full containers range, or contact us if you’d like help choosing the right sizes for your menu.
