Food and Dessert Cups Printed With Your Name

Food cups are a different job

A drinks cup only has to hold liquid and keep a hand comfortable. A food cup has to suit a spoon or fork, hold its shape under a heavy scoop and show the food off when it is open.

That is why the cups on this page vary so much in shape. Some are short and wide, some are deep, and a few are tiny pots made for one dip.

Food-contact board is available on request across the whole range. Ask for it in your quote and it is listed against each item.

For parlours serving scoops to eat on the spot, our printed ice cream cups for scoops are the most popular food cup we make. The short wall keeps the gelato in view and leaves a wide band for your name.

• Ice cream parlours and gelato carts
• Soup kitchens, delis and lunch counters
• Street food stalls and festival traders
• Bakeries, patisseries and dessert bars
• Caterers running weddings and conferences
• Takeaways sending sauces with deliveries

Every food and dessert cup at a glance

Eleven products sit in this group, and most buyers need only two or three of them. The table helps you rule out the rest quickly.

Sizes for food cups are given in ounces like drinks cups, but the shape matters just as much as the volume.

Ice cream: open tubs or lidded tubs

The first question for a parlour is whether scoops are eaten there or carried away. Open tubs are quicker to serve and show the colours of the gelato.

If customers take scoops home or you sell through delivery apps, ice cream tubs with fitted lids stop drips in the bag. A flat lid stacks well in a freezer, and a clear dome leaves room for sauce and sprinkles.

Sizes usually run from a 3oz kids' tub to a 16oz take-home pot. Pick the size by scoop count rather than by guesswork.

Hot food: soups and bowls

Hot food needs a cup that will not soften or get too hot to hold. Single wall works for most soups, and double wall is worth it for fillings served straight from the pan.

A printed paper soup cup with a lid is deep, with a wide mouth for ladling. Delis use 12oz as a regular and 16oz as a large, with 8oz for a side cup.

Bowl cups are lower and wider. They suit noodle bars, poke stalls and salad counters where toppings should sit on show.

Plan the lid with the cup. Soup that travels needs a lid made for that rim, while a bowl eaten at a table can usually go without.

Street food and snacks in the hand

At a festival, people eat while they walk and queue. A tall open cup that holds chips or churros upright is easier than a tray and far easier than a plate.

Our paper snack cups for street food are often cut lower at the front so the food is easy to reach. Kraft, white and black board all work, and fried food is a good case for asking about food-contact board.

Cones do a similar job for shaved ice, popcorn and sweets. They are light, they nest neatly, and they look playful with a bright print.

Bright, simple artwork works best on these. A snack cup is seen from a distance across a busy field, so one large logo beats a detailed scene.

Small pots for sauces, sides and samples

The smallest food cups carry one measured serving. That keeps portion costs steady across a shift and makes deliveries look tidy.

If dips travel in a bag, small paper sauce cups with lids are the safer pick. The lid presses inside the rim, and a printed lid colour can tell customers which dip is which.

Portion cups are the open version, used for coleslaw, nuts or a side salad. They come pleated or smooth, and smooth walls give more room for print.

Because these pots are small, keep the print simple. A single logo or a colour band reads clearly, while a full sentence will not.

• 2oz: a single dip or topping
• 3oz: dressing, side or sample
• 4oz: sharing sauce or small salad

Desserts and bakes

Single-serve puddings sell well in a chiller because people can see them. A straight-sided pot shows layers of a trifle or cheesecake neatly from the side.

Our printed paper dessert pots run from a 3oz mini to an 8oz sharing size, with a clear dome or flat lid where needed.

For cakes, the case is the cup. Printed parchment cases carry your bakery name on every muffin and cupcake that leaves the counter, and the parchment resists grease from rich sponges.

Bakeries often order cases and dessert pots in one design. A matching set on a counter makes a small range look much bigger.

Clear dome lids are popular for desserts sold from a chiller, because the topping stays visible and the pot still stacks on a shelf.

How to choose and order food cups

Food cups are simpler to choose when you start with the food rather than the cup. These steps take you from menu to proof.

Ask our team for free design help if your menu covers several shapes.

1. List each food item and whether it is hot, cold or frozen.
2. Note whether it is eaten on the spot or carried away.
3. Pick the cup shape: tub, bowl, pot, snack cup, cone or case.
4. Choose a size by portion, then decide if a lid is needed.
5. Ask for food-contact board in your quote if you want it.
6. Send artwork, check the free proof and approve.

Events, weddings and catering

Caterers often need a few food cups and a few drinks cups printed in one style. Matching designs make a buffet or a dessert table look planned rather than pieced together.

For drinks handed out by staff, paper serving cups printed for events can carry the couple's names, the date or a company logo. Dessert pots and ice cream tubs can then follow the same pattern.

Order everything at once if you can. One proof round covers the whole set, and the items arrive together.

Mistakes to avoid, plus price and timing

The most common food cup mistake is picking a size by volume alone. A 12oz bowl and a 12oz soup cup hold the same amount but suit very different food.

Another is skipping lids on anything that travels. Gravy, dips and melting ice cream all find their way out of an open cup in a delivery bag.

Food cups start from £0.25 each, with the real figure in your written quote. Production starts after you approve the free proof and takes 4 to 6 working days, then tracked delivery takes 2 to 3 working days, free anywhere in the UK.