Printed Paper Snack Cups for Street Food and Grazing

Food that belongs in a snack cup

Snack cups are for food eaten with fingers or a small fork while standing up. The cup stands tall in the hand, so the food stays upright and nothing slides out of the side.

Our photos show the most common fillings: chips with fried chicken, mixed fruit, cheese and charcuterie, and berry skewers. All of them work because the cup holds them like a bunch of flowers rather than a pile on a plate.

• Chips, wedges and loaded fries
• Churros with a sauce pot on the side
• Popcorn and sweet treats
• Fruit and cheese skewers
• Grazing cups for weddings and parties
• Nuggets, wings and fried snacks

Who buys printed snack cups

Street food traders and festival vans are our biggest snack cup customers. A printed cup in someone's hand advertises the van to everyone walking past.

Wedding caterers and party planners order them for grazing cups, where each guest gets a cup of cheese, meats, fruit and breadsticks. Cinemas, bowling alleys and soft play centres use them for snacks at the counter.

Pubs and bars have started using them too, for bar snacks served at the table. A printed cup of chips feels more considered than a basket lined with paper.

The angled scoop front

Many snack cups are cut lower at the front than at the back. The higher back wall carries your logo, and the low front lets customers pick out food easily.

The angle also shows off what is inside. A grazing cup with skewers poking out at the top looks generous before anyone has taken a bite.

Straight-topped snack cups are also available. They suit popcorn and small sweets, which spill from an open front when the cup is tipped.

Tell us which top you want for each size when you ask for a quote. Some traders order both and keep the straight version for sweets.

Choosing a snack cup size

Pick the size from the food, not from the price. Chips need more room than skewers, and a grazing cup needs height for breadsticks to stand up.

Two sizes are enough for most vans. A regular and a large keeps the menu board simple and the stock shelf tidy.

Our guide to UK paper cup sizes compares heights and rim widths if you are matching an existing order.

Kraft, white or black board

Kraft is the classic look for chips and street food. It hides grease marks better than white and pairs well with a one-colour logo.

Black board gives a smart finish for evening events and grazing cups. Our photos show a black cup filled with salami, cheese and fruit, where the dark wall makes the food stand out.

White board suits bright brand colours and full colour artwork. It is the right choice for kids' menus and colourful sweet shops.

Board colour also changes how ink looks. A red logo on kraft prints deeper and warmer than the same red on white.

Hot fried food and wall choice

Freshly fried chips are hot, and a thin cup can feel it through the wall. Single wall is fine when the food has rested for a minute or comes in a bag.

Double wall gives a firmer, cooler cup for food that goes straight from the fryer to the hand. It is worth it at festival vans where queues form and people eat on the spot.

Our guide on when to choose a double wall cup explains the difference in heat and cost.

Printing a snack cup

The back wall of an angled cup is the tallest panel, so put your logo there. It faces outwards when someone holds the cup, which is exactly where you want it.

Full colour CMYK or Pantone print can cover one side, two sides or the whole wrap. Send AI, PDF, EPS, SVG, PNG or JPG files and we will set them on the template.

Check the result on a real cup photo first with the snack cup design preview. It shows how the angled front crops your artwork.

Steps to order

Prices begin at £0.25 per cup and are confirmed in a written quote. Start yours on our snack cup quote form.

1. Choose sizes, board colour and whether you want an angled or straight top.
2. Send your logo, or ask our designers to lay it out at no cost.
3. Review the free proof and request changes until it looks right.
4. Approve it, and printing runs for 4 to 6 working days.
5. Cartons ship tracked and reach you in 2 to 3 working days.

Serving tips from busy stalls

Put a sauce pot in the top of the cup before the chips, then fill around it. Customers can dip without juggling a second pot.

For grazing cups, add the heavy items first and the skewers last. That keeps the cup steady on a tray.

At events, stand filled cups in a holder or a tray with holes. They stay upright and staff can carry ten at a time.

• Fill chips loosely so the top stays crisp
• Push skewers in at an angle for height
• Keep spare cups near the fryer, away from steam
• Use a tray or holder for grazing cups at weddings

Common snack cup mistakes

Printing the logo on the low front panel is the mistake we see most. On an angled cup that panel is cut away, so the logo ends up half missing.

Choosing white board for greasy food is another. Kraft or black hides marks much better over a long shift.

If you need a dip on the side, pair the cup with our small printed sauce pots rather than squeezing sauce over the top.

Finally, think about how many cups a busy day uses. Running out halfway through a festival weekend costs far more than a spare carton.

• Logo placed on the cut-away front
• White board used for oily food
• Popcorn in an angled cup that spills
• Cups too short for skewers or breadsticks

Shipping snack cups to your van

Snack cups travel free to the UK, with tracking on every parcel.

Spot a misprint or a squashed carton? Photograph it and let us know within 10 days of delivery, and we will reprint or refund those snack cups.