Printed Paper Ice Cream Cups for Parlours and Vans

Who orders printed ice cream cups

Anyone serving scoops by hand needs a good tub, and a printed one turns every sale into a small advert. Seaside parlours, ice cream vans and gelato shops are the obvious buyers.

Dessert bars, farm shops with their own dairy and event caterers order them too. Cinemas and soft play centres use small tubs for a quick treat between activities.

• Ice cream parlours and gelato shops
• Ice cream vans and seaside kiosks
• Farm shops with their own dairy
• Dessert bars and waffle shops
• Wedding and party dessert stations

Matching cup size to scoops and menus

The easiest way to choose a size is to count scoops. Scoop sizes vary from shop to shop, so treat the guide below as a starting point and test with your own scoop.

Leave a little room above the ice cream for toppings, sauce or a wafer. A tub filled to the brim looks generous but makes a mess on the walk to the car.

Gelato is denser than soft scoop ice cream, so the same scoop can weigh more. If you serve gelato, you may find a size smaller holds a generous portion.

Most parlours find that three sizes cover everything: small, regular and large. Printing the same design on all three keeps the counter tidy and makes pricing simple for customers.

Ice cream vans tend to keep to two sizes because space is tight. For tasters, our tiny 2oz paper cups for samples let customers try a flavour before they choose.

We print sizes from 2oz to 20oz and can quote other sizes on request.

Choosing a wall for scoops and frozen yoghurt

Single wall is the usual choice for ice cream. It keeps the tub light, stacks neatly in a van and costs less per serving.

Double wall adds insulation, which slows melting a little and keeps hands from getting cold. It is worth it for large sharing tubs and frozen yoghurt that customers eat slowly while walking.

Condensation is part of life for a cold tub on a hot day. Tell us how your cups will be stored and served, and we will advise on the board and wall that suit those conditions best.

Food contact and hygiene

Ice cream sits directly against the inside of the cup, so the board matters. You can ask for food-contact board on any order, and we suggest doing so for every ice cream cup.

Store sleeves of cups in a clean, dry place away from the freezer door. Damp cardboard boxes can soften the cups before you even use them.

Designing artwork for ice cream tubs

Ice cream cups are short, so the print area is smaller than on a coffee cup. Keep the logo large and simple, and use bright, happy colours that suit the product.

Drips, waffle cones, fruit and swirls all work well as patterns around the tub. Our team will help with layout for free, or you can start with our printed cup design guide and adapt the tips for a shorter tub.

1. Choose your sizes based on scoop counts
2. Send your logo in AI, PDF, EPS, SVG, PNG or JPG
3. Decide between a one side print and a full wrap
4. Add a flavour key or website if there is room
5. Check the free digital proof and approve it

Spoons, lids and takeaway tubs

Most ice cream is eaten straight away, so these cups are usually served without a lid. Add a wooden or plastic spoon and you are ready to go.

Wooden spoons sit nicely against a printed paper tub and feel right for a parlour or a farm shop. Whatever you choose, keep a supply next to the cups so nobody has to search for one mid-queue.

If customers take ice cream home or you sell tubs from a freezer, a lidded tub is the better fit. Our ice cream cups with fitted lids are designed for that job.

Ice cream cups at events

Dessert stations at weddings and parties use small printed tubs to serve sorbet between courses or ice cream with cake. A 3oz or 4oz tub keeps portions sensible when there are many guests.

For festivals and summer fairs, a bold full wrap print lets people spot your van from across the field. Colours that match your van livery make the whole setup look joined up.

Plan ahead for busy summer weekends. Production takes 4 to 6 working days after proof approval, and tracked delivery takes 2 to 3 working days.

Ice cream cups for vans and kiosks

Space in a van is precious, so cups need to stack tightly and come out of the sleeve one at a time. Short, wide tubs nest well, and a single wall cup takes up the least room in a cupboard.

A van usually serves a queue in bursts, so speed matters more than anything. Keep each size in its own spot by the freezer, and use a different colour band on each size so staff can grab the right one without looking twice.

Seaside kiosks see the same customers all summer. A cheerful, consistent design on every tub helps visitors remember where they bought the ice cream they liked.

Ice cream cups versus other dessert pots

Ice cream cups are wide and shallow so a scoop sits comfortably inside and a spoon can reach the bottom. Taller dessert pots suit layered puddings, mousse and trifles better.

If you serve both, use the same artwork on each so your range looks like a family. You can browse the full food and dessert cup range to compare shapes.

Common mistakes with ice cream cup orders

A few easy slips can make ice cream tubs harder to use or less effective as branding. Check these before you approve.

We are happy to adjust the proof as many times as you need before printing.

• Choosing a size from the ounce number without testing a scoop
• Packing too much small text onto a short tub
• Forgetting to ask for food-contact board
• Storing cups next to a freezer where they get damp
• Ordering takeaway tubs without lids

Price, delivery and returns

Printed ice cream cups start from £0.25 per cup, confirmed in your written quote. There is no charge for tracked delivery to the UK, which matters when you are restocking a van mid-season.

Misprints or damage reported within 10 days with photos are reprinted or refunded. When you are ready, get a price for ice cream tubs in the sizes you need.