Custom Printed Patisserie Boxes for Pastry Chefs and Dessert Cafés

What is a patisserie box?

It is the box a pastry chef uses when the dessert itself is the gift. The bake is finished, glazed and decorated, and the packaging has one job: keep it looking exactly as it did on the counter.

Our gallery shows the range. You can see a grey tray-and-lid holding six tarts and a long tray with a hot pink lid for a row of éclairs. There is also a drawer-style sleeve, plus a deep burgundy box for choux buns with a message printed inside the lid.

Who orders patisserie boxes?

Dessert cafés, pastry chefs selling from home kitchens, hotel pastry teams and afternoon tea venues order most of them. Wedding dessert caterers use them for take-home favours.

Shops that also sell everyday bakes often pair them with simpler boxes from our bakery packaging range for UK bakers. The premium box is then saved for gift orders.

Pop-up dessert bars and supper clubs order them too. A branded box at the end of the night turns a single dessert into something guests carry home and photograph.

• Fruit tarts, lemon tarts and custard tarts
• Éclairs, choux buns and profiteroles
• Petits fours and mini desserts
• Afternoon tea selections to take home
• Dessert boxes for Valentine's, Mother's Day and birthdays

Which patisserie box style suits your desserts?

The style depends on how the dessert sits and how the customer opens it. A low tart needs a shallow tray, while a choux bun with a tall crown needs depth.

How do you stop desserts sliding into each other?

Size the tray so each piece has only a few millimetres of space around it. Desserts that touch the walls cannot slide, and a full tray travels better than a half-empty one.

For mixed sets, a small paper case or cupcake liner under each piece keeps glazes apart. Sticky toppings stay on their own dessert rather than the one beside it.

If your sets vary, order two tray sizes rather than one large one. A box of four and a box of eight covers most orders without loose gaps.

What size patisserie box do you need?

Lay out the finished pieces on a board in the arrangement you want. Measure the outside edges and the tallest point, including any piped cream or decoration.

Add 5 to 8 mm on each side and at least 15 mm above the highest decoration. A lid that brushes a glazed top leaves a mark the customer will notice.

Common starting points are a long box around 300 × 90 mm for six éclairs, and a tray around 260 × 180 mm for six tarts. We make every order to your own measurements.

Board, cream and keeping the tray clean

White folding board gives the cleanest base for bright colours like pink, lilac and deep red. Kraft works if you prefer a natural look, though strong colours print slightly darker on it.

Butter pastry and cream fillings can mark plain board. A grease-resistant coating on the tray, available on request, keeps the inside fresh-looking. Most chefs also place desserts on paper cases or a sheet of greaseproof paper.

Keep cream desserts chilled until collection. The box protects the shape but it is not a cool bag, so advise customers to take it straight home.

Printing the lid, the sleeve and the inside

Full colour CMYK covers detailed patterns, scallops and illustrations, while one or two colours suit a simple logo on a coloured board. Inside print is available on boxes and trays, so the tray floor or the underside of the lid can carry a line of text.

Matte varnish gives a soft, velvet-like look. Gloss makes deep colours look richer. Our guide to designing printed food packaging that prints well covers bleed, fonts and dark colours.

Should a patisserie box have a window?

A window works on a counter display where customers choose by sight. It is less useful for a gift, because part of the pleasure is lifting the lid.

If you want both, a sleeve with a window over a plain tray gives customers a glimpse and keeps the reveal. We show the window size and position on your free proof.

Windows suit long éclair boxes especially well. A narrow strip along the lid shows the whole row of colours, while the printed board around it keeps your name in view.

Packing tips for collection and delivery

For deliveries, keep each box flat in a level carrier and avoid stacking more than two high.

At the counter, slide a folded napkin or a small menu card under the lid before closing. It costs little and makes the box feel complete when it is opened at home.

• Assemble trays before service so you are not folding board with creamy hands
• Place the heaviest dessert in the middle of the tray
• Add a sticker seal across the lid edge for delivery orders
• Carry boxes flat and level; never on their side
• Write the collection name on the base, not the printed lid

Where do patisserie orders go wrong?

The usual problem is height. A box measured before the cream is piped ends up too shallow, and the lid flattens the decoration.

Another is choosing a dark full-bleed design without a proof check on the chosen board. We flag colour risks on the proof so you can adjust before production. Over-sized trays are the third issue, letting pieces roll during the drive.

Last of all, some chefs leave ordering until the week of a big event. Build in the proof, the 4–6 business days of production and the delivery time, and order with a little room to spare.

How do you order patisserie boxes?

Pricing starts from £0.25 per unit and is fixed on a written quote. Quantities are quoted per order, so a small first run for a launch is fine to ask about.

1. Tell us the dessert, the number per box and the finished measurements.
2. Upload your logo or ask our designers to set out the artwork at no cost.
3. Check the free proof, including the inside print if you chose it.
4. Once approved, production takes 4–6 business days.
5. Your patisserie boxes then travel free and tracked, arriving in 2–3 business days across the UK.