Custom Printed Paper Food Trays for Street Food and Counters

What are paper food trays?

A paper food tray is an open dish folded from a single sheet of board. The corners are pressed or glued, so the walls stand up without a lid or lock.

The photos above show three common shapes. The boat tray has sloped walls and pointed ends. The straight tray has upright sides, often printed inside and out. The compartment tray has a divider across the middle, splitting one tray into two portions.

All three are made to be held in one hand and eaten from with a fork or fingers.

Boat, straight or two compartments: which tray do you need?

Each shape suits a different kind of food and service. This comparison helps narrow it down.

Who serves food in printed trays?

Trays work best where the customer eats standing up or nearby. They are fast to fill and need no closing.

Trays also suit kitchens serving inside, where a tray on a plate or a wooden board gives casual presentation with less washing up.

• Street food traders at markets and festivals
• Stadium, arena and cinema food counters
• Pub kitchens serving bar snacks
• Fairground and seaside kiosks
• Food halls with shared seating
• Event caterers handing out tasting portions

What size food tray fits one portion?

Serve one real portion onto a plate and look at its footprint. The tray base should be close to that size, with the walls catching anything that spills over.

A tray too large makes a portion look mean. A tray too small means food falls off on the walk from the counter. For loaded food, choose straight walls at least 40 mm high.

Think about how the tray is held, too. A customer carrying a drink in one hand needs a tray narrow enough to grip across the base with the other.

If your menu uses several sizes, keep the same artwork across them so they read as a set. Our UK takeaway packaging sizes guide has typical tray dimensions.

How do food trays handle grease and sauce?

Fried food and sauces sit straight on the board, so grease can show through unlined trays within minutes. A grease-resistant lining or coating on request keeps the board firmer and the outside print cleaner.

Lining the tray with a printed greaseproof sheet works too, and gives you a second surface for branding. Food-contact materials are available on request, and we confirm the right one when you get your quote.

Kraft board hides small marks well. White board looks crisp but shows grease sooner, so it suits drier food or a lined tray.

Why print the inside of a food tray?

As the customer eats, the inside of the tray is revealed. A logo, a pattern or a short line under the food becomes the last thing they see.

The outside walls are the part seen across a crowd, so place your name there in large letters. The printed straight tray in our photos uses both: a bold band outside and a plain inside.

One colour on kraft gives a classic street food look. Full colour CMYK on white suits detailed brand artwork. Our tips for food packaging artwork explain how to set up bleed on folded trays.

How do you serve from food trays at a busy stall?

Speed matters more with trays than with any other packaging. A simple routine keeps the line moving.

1. Keep a stack of trays within reach of the fryer or grill.
2. Pull one tray at a time from the top, never squeeze the stack.
3. Fill the heavier food first, then toppings and sauce.
4. Add a fork or a skewer at the edge before handing over.
5. Hand the tray over flat, base first, so the customer takes the weight evenly.

What goes wrong when choosing food trays?

The classic error is picking a boat tray for loose, wet food such as curry. Sloped walls let sauce run to the ends and drip. Straight walls or a compartment tray work better.

Another is ordering one size for everything. Kids portions look lost in a large tray, and sharing portions overflow a small one. Two sizes usually cover a whole menu.

People also forget that trays nest. Order printed trays well before a festival, and store them flat in their boxes, away from damp ground.

Finally, watch the wind at outdoor events. Light empty trays blow off a counter, so keep the open stack in its carton until you need it.

Can a food tray be used for takeaway?

An open tray is made for food that is finished at the stall or a few steps away. For a short walk, a napkin over the top is enough. For a car journey or delivery, the food needs a closed box.

Some traders use both. The tray goes out at the counter, and a lidded box is kept for orders going home. Our printed chicken and snack boxes carry the same kind of food with a closing lid.

If you do send trays out, slide them into a flat-bottomed paper bag so they stay level.

Are there trays made for specific foods?

Yes. Some foods need a tray designed around them. Nachos with a dip pot need a holder cut into the tray, and pizza slices need a wedge shape. Our printed nacho trays with dip holders are one example.

For general snacks, a standard tray in two sizes does the job.

How do you order printed food trays?

Send the tray shape, size and quantity you want. Tray prices begin at £0.25 a piece; the figure you pay is the one on your written quote for that run.

A free proof shows your artwork on the flat tray layout before we print. Trays take 4–6 business days to produce once you approve it. We cover the tracked delivery cost to every UK postcode, and the cartons usually land 2–3 business days after dispatch.

If a delivery shows damage or a print fault, send us photos inside 10 days to get a reprint or refund. To get started, ask us to quote your food trays.