Cardboard Delivery Trays

Stackable, ventilated cardboard trays built for moving fresh stock — bread, vegetables, cut flowers, catering orders and farm shop produce — from your premises to your customer without damage.

Manufactured in house in two working sizes, they erect in seconds without tape or glue, stack securely when loaded, and go straight into kerbside recycling at the far end. No return leg, no washing, no pooling fees.

Currently available to order on a 10-14 day lead time. These trays are joining our standard stock range in the new year. In the meantime we are manufacturing to order — tell us your size and quantity using the enquiry form and we will come back with pricing and a confirmed dispatch date.

Which tray size do you need?

The bread tray measures 648 x 495 x 128mm and carries up to 18kg. Its larger footprint and shallower 128mm walls suit bulk lightweight loads — loaves, rolls, pastries, bagged salad, packaged catering and anything where you need floor area rather than depth.

The vegetable tray measures 567 x 382 x 140mm and carries up to 14kg. The smaller footprint and deeper 140mm walls are built for denser, wetter loads: root vegetables, potatoes, brassicas and anything that needs wall strength to stack several trays high without the sides bowing.

If you are unsure, the quickest way to decide is by what you are loading rather than by size. Light and bulky goes in the bread tray; dense and heavy goes in the vegetable tray. Tell us what you are moving in your enquiry and we will recommend one.

Understanding the board specification

Both trays are single wall brown corrugated on B flute. Single wall means one fluted layer sandwiched between two liners. B flute sits at roughly 3mm thick and is the standard choice for trays because it combines good crush resistance with a flat enough surface to print on.

The board codes describe the liners. 150K/150T on the bread tray means a 150gsm kraft liner on the outside and a 150gsm test liner on the inside. 200K/200T on the vegetable tray steps both liners up to 200gsm. Kraft liner is made from virgin wood fibre and is the stronger, more moisture-tolerant of the two, which is why it faces outward. Test liner is recycled fibre.

The practical upshot: the vegetable tray uses noticeably heavier board than the bread tray despite being the smaller of the two. That is deliberate. Deeper walls carrying denser produce need more from the board.

Why ventilation matters

Both trays are die-cut with ventilation holes through the walls. For fresh produce and cut flowers this is not decorative.

Harvested produce keeps respiring after picking, generating heat and moisture. In a sealed stack that heat has nowhere to go and moisture condenses against the board, softening both the produce and the packaging. Vents let air move through a loaded stack, so field heat escapes and condensation does not build. For leafy greens, soft fruit and flowers, that is the difference between arriving fresh and arriving tired.

Cardboard trays compared with returnable plastic crates

Returnable plastic crates carry costs that never appear on the invoice: collecting them back, storing them between rounds, washing them, and replacing the ones that never come home. For any delivery where the tray is not returning — market stalls, wholesale drops, event catering, box schemes — cardboard removes that reverse logistics burden entirely.

A single wall corrugated tray is also substantially lighter than its plastic equivalent, which tells on every vehicle you load. And at the end of the round your customer recycles it rather than storing it until your next visit.

Printing your brand on the tray

We can flexographically print up to two colours on both sizes. On a delivery tray this is genuinely visible advertising — the tray sits on a market stall, behind a farm shop counter, or on a catering table, in front of exactly the customers you want to reach.

Send your artwork with your enquiry and we will advise on print area, colour matching and any setup involved.

Who uses cardboard delivery trays

• Bakeries and craft bakers — bread, rolls and pastries to shops, cafés and markets
• Greengrocers and fruit & veg wholesalers — daily runs to restaurants and retailers
• Florists and flower growers — stems and arrangements in transit, where ventilation matters most. For posted arrangements, see our flower boxes.
• Event and contract caterers — prepared food and equipment to venues
• Butchers — wrapped and packaged product between premises
• Farm shops and box schemes — local delivery rounds and collection points

If a tray is not the right format

Open trays suit stock that is stacked, carried short distances and unloaded by hand. If you need a closed box, we manufacture those in house too.

• Single wall cardboard boxes — the closest equivalent to these trays in a fully enclosed format, on the same board.
• Double wall cardboard boxes — for loads beyond the 14kg to 18kg these trays carry, or where boxes are stacked on a pallet.
• Postal boxes and mailers — for farm shops and box schemes sending direct to customers through the post.

You can see everything we make in the cardboard boxes range.

Ordering, lead times and quantities

These trays are made to order while they are outside our standard stock range. The lead time is 14 days from order confirmation — that is, from the point your specification and quantity are agreed, not from your first enquiry.

Tell us the tray, the quantity and when you need them using the enquiry form, and we will confirm pricing and a dispatch date. If the quantity you need sits outside what we have listed, say so — we would rather quote than turn you away.

Delivering across London and nationwide

London is our core market. We supply bakeries, greengrocers, florists and caterers across the capital, and we understand the constraints that come with it — tight delivery windows, limited storage, and stock that has to move the same day it arrives. Flat-packed trays that erect in seconds and need no return leg suit that pace.

We deliver UK-wide on the same 10-14 day lead time. Wherever you are, tell us what you need and when.

Frequently asked questions

Are these trays food safe?
No. They are not certified for direct food contact. Product should be bagged, wrapped or otherwise packaged before being placed in the tray.

Do the trays stack when loaded?
Yes. Both sizes are designed to stack loaded. The vegetable tray uses heavier 200K/200T board specifically to hold its shape under a stack.

Are they recyclable?
Yes. Plain brown corrugated with no laminate or coating, so they go into standard kerbside cardboard recycling.

Can I have them printed?
Yes, up to two colours by flexographic print on either size. Send artwork with your enquiry.

How quickly can I get them?
10-14 days from order confirmation.

What is the minimum order quantity?
Tell us the quantity you need on the enquiry form and we will confirm what is workable for that specification.

Please note: these trays are not certified for direct food contact. Products should be bagged, wrapped or otherwise packaged before being placed in the tray.