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Packaging Supplies for Cafés: Everything You Need for Your Coffee Shop
Ecoware Cups
Orchard Cafe Coffee Cup

Attention, coffee shop owners! When did you last think about restocking your café’s packaging supplies? Choosing the right coffee shop packaging can be a challenge, especially if you’re just starting out.

At Takeaway Packaging, we’re experts in selecting suitable packaging for cafés and coffee shops alike. We’ll give you the full rundown of our eco-friendly takeaway coffee cups you might need along with all the extras — like lids, cutlery and napkins. 

Choosing the Right Takeaway Coffee Cups and Lids

With so many different kinds of packaging for coffee and cake out there — and single-use plastics getting banned by the government — it makes a lot of sense to choose sustainable packaging. We know it can be a little confusing, particularly when packaging companies use different terms and descriptions to describe the same product!

Here’s a quick breakdown of how different hot cups work and what they are best suited for, along with a few extra tips.

Single Wall Cups

Double Wall Cups

Triple Wall Cups

Single wall cups can be used for both hot and cold beverages. These provide the least amount of insulation, which is why we recommend using eco-friendly sleeves to protect customers’ hands if you plan to use them for hot drinks.Double wall cups are best suited to hot drinks and are a popular choice for takeaway orders. “Double wall” means the cup has an additional layer to prevent it from getting too hot, so it’s unlikely you’ll need to serve it with a sleeve.Triple wall cups, also known as ripple cups, provide the highest level of insulation. Ripple cups work well for hot beverages but can be used with a sleeve if desired. For custom cups, our double or single wall cups are best to capture your designs. 

We stock all these types of eco-friendly compostable and recyclable coffee cups in our online store. Check it out!

Once you know what type of coffee cup you’ll need, you should think about the size. We’ve compiled a list of the best-size cup for different kinds of coffee:

  1. 4 oz (118 ml) — Single or double shot (e.g. Espresso, Ristretto)
  2. 6 oz (177 ml) — Small coffee (e.g. Lungo, Macchiato, Flat White)
  3. 8 oz (227 ml) — Regular coffee (e.g. Latte, Cappuccino, Americano)
  4. 12 oz (355 ml) — Large coffee (e.g. Latte, Cappuccino, Americano)
  5. 16 oz (473 ml) — Extra-large coffee (e.g. French Press, Filter Coffee)

Related: Disposable Coffee Cups: A Complete Guide for Eco-Conscious Businesses

Coffee Cup Linings

There are two types of lining you can use for your coffee cup: PE (plastic) and Ingeo™ PLA (polylactic acid).

PE: Polyethylene (PE) lining is made from plastic. Plastic offers superior water and grease resistance, is recyclable and can be recycled into other products multiple times. 

Ingeo™ PLA: Also referred to as “bioplastic”, polylactic acid (PLA) is plant-based, not oil-based. It’s 100% biodegradable and compostable, making it our top choice for sustainable coffee cups.

Custom Printed Coffee Cups

Custom Printed Coffee Cups

Why not add a custom design to show off your branding? It gives you your very own mobile advertisement. Use this opportunity to promote your social media handles or add unique artwork and logos, which can help drive sales. 

Unbranded stock cups have their advantages too — they’re budget-friendly and can be delivered straight away. If you are on a budget, we can also supply branded stickers which can be added to plain stock cups — cost-effective branding! 

Related: Should You Use Branded Takeaway Packaging?

Recyclable and Biodegradable Coffee Cup Lids

When ordering takeaway coffee cups, many purchase lids for each cup size. However, for most cups, one size fits all (from 10oz up). Smaller cups have a smaller diameter and will require smaller lids.

Lids aren’t the only finishing touch. Everyone likes their coffee a little differently, so make sure you’re stocked up on coffee stirrers and cup carriers to provide your customers with everything they need. 

Buy eco-friendly coffee cup lids to match your takeaway coffee cups.

Clear Cups for Smoothies and Juices

Nowadays, coffee shops sell more than just coffee. Smoothies, frappes and juices are part of the gang too. If you’re serving cold drinks, you might prefer a clear cup to display your colourful concoctions. Clear cups are very straightforward — simply choose your size (7 oz–20 oz) and material. Clear cups are only suitable for use with cold drinks.

PLA clear cups are the perfect choice for environmentally conscious businesses. Eco-cups are fully biodegradable and compostable, and you can brand them too. They also make for easy disposal, leaving your customers feeling guilt-free.

We also offer recyclable clear cups, which are ideal for cold drinks like smoothies, fresh juices, iced coffees and milkshakes. They’re made from 100% recycled material, which can be recycled again and again after use.

When shopping for our clear cups, you can choose from two kinds of lids. A domed lid is best for thicker drinks with toppings like whipped cream (think frappes). Flat lids are a better choice for iced coffee and juices. 

Biodegradable Straws

In July 2021, the government banned single-use plastic straws and stirrers. Considering the negative impact plastic straws have on our marine environments, we’re all the more glad for it. For thick drinks, we recommend choosing a straw with a larger diameter, such as 12 mm. Here is a selection of straws for all your juice, smoothie and cold beverage needs: 

Paper Straws 

PLA Straws

Avocado Seed Straws

Paper straws are the ultimate environmentally friendly alternative and are fully compostable. They’re suitable for thinner drinks like juices. PLA straws have the same physical attributes as plastic but are made from a plant-based material (PLA), so they’re fully biodegradable and compostable. These biodegradable avocado seed straws are extra strong and durable. They’re made from a biomass content of 70% from renewable and sustainable resources. 

Slurp up sustainability and view our entire range of biodegradable straws

Coffee Shop Packaging: The Accessories

So we’ve covered eco-friendly cups, straws and lids and explained what you need to know for serving hot and cold beverages, but what about the extras? Let’s look at some sustainable alternatives to single-use coffee shop accessories. 

Recycled Paper Napkins

Napkins are an essential item on your café packaging supplies list. If you sell pastries, biscuits or desserts, customers will want napkins to stay clean — and green! 

The ply of a napkin is how many layers the napkin has. Most napkins are one to three-ply — the higher the number, the thicker it is.

The most popular napkin material used in coffee shops is paper, as it’s easily disposable. Environmentally conscious businesses often use unbleached napkins made from recycled paper.

Biodegradable NapkinsBut just because your business is sustainable doesn’t mean it has to be a plain Jane. We stock a wide range of 100% biodegradable, recyclable and compostable napkins in stunning vivid colours like indigo and bright red. 

Related: The Best Packaging for Desserts: A Definitive Guide

Biodegradable and Compostable Cutlery

Single-use plastic cutlery is one of the biggest offenders when it comes to littering. It’s also part of the single-use plastic ban the government is introducing. Luckily, you have several viable, eco-friendly alternatives. 

Bioplastic Cutlery

Wooden Cutlery

Avocado Seed Cutlery

Bioplastic PLA cutlery offers the same physical appearance and durability as heavy-duty plastic cutlery, but it is completely biodegradable and compostable.Hard wooden cutlery is produced from renewable resources and is recyclable and biodegradable. Wooden cutlery is also less likely to snap than plastic cutlery.Avocado seed cutlery is incredibly strong and durable. Produced from renewable resources, it’s the more sustainable alternative to standard, oil-based cutlery.

For more eco-friendly cutlery options, have a look at our online selection

Recycled and Recyclable Paper Bags

Takeaway bags will always come in handy if you’re serving food at your coffee shop. Here are some popular coffee shop packaging bag designs:

Paper Grab Bags

SOS Paper Bags

The small to larger sizes of these grab bags makes them perfect for sandwiches, cakes and pastries. As the name suggests, these are suited to grab-and-take options. You can shop unbranded grab bags or have them branded with your artwork and logo.The SOS-style bag is most commonly used by coffee shops, bakeries and delis. Its structure allows for small takeaway boxes and soup cups to sit level inside. These bags can also be branded and are available with a twisted handle or flat handle. 

Looking for more? We have many other types of sustainable paper bags and food carriers for you to discover

Buying Packaging for Your Coffee Shop with Us

Sustainable coffee shop packaging is the future — not only for the planet but for your business too. Stock up on eco-friendly packaging now and avoid additional costs like the plastic packaging tax and fines for using single-use plastic. With our range of café packaging supplies, you can give your customers an easy way to dispose of their waste while showcasing your commitment to sustainability.

Buy sustainable packaging for your coffee shop online, including biodegradable coffee cups and recyclable food packaging — and much more!

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Compostable Coffee Cups ‘Made from Plants’
Cups Made From Plants

We are sure by now you have seen our range of compostable coffee cups ‘Made from Plants’. The clue is in the name, these cups are made from plants!

Our paper is sourced from responsibly managed forests. We line the paper with Ingeo™ bioplastic. This lining is produced from a naturally occurring material in plants and has a significantly lower carbon footprint than the fossil fuel-based polymers that generally line packaging.

This innovation of turning plants into plastic allows us to exclude non-renewable resources (such as oil) from the production of EcoCups.
See how these cups compost over time? Standard plastic-based cups are not degradable and will not compost like these cups.

Ecoware EcoCups - Takeaway Packaging
Cups Made From Plants

The double wall range of compostable coffee cups by Ecoware is fully biodegradable, recyclable and compostable – and they look great too!

“Made from Plants” Double Wall EcoCup

Like these cups? You can purchase them online now! If you’re looking for more than cups that’s fine, we have a full range of food & drink packaging available.

If you’re interested in bespoke biodegradable cups, we can brand them with your artwork and logos, get in touch with us to find out more or visit our design service page. When you opt for bespoke packaging, this puts you in control of all factors of your packaging, including size, style and colours.

This also gives you the opportunity to take an eco-friendly approach and make your packaging future friendly!

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How to make your packaging stand out from the crowd
Starbucks packaging

The Starbucks logo is a globally recognised icon and one which surrounds the household name.

A familiar face to crowded high streets with a calming-green background, it’s undeniable that Starbucks coffee cups stand out from the crowd… or is it?

Is it really fair to say that a plain white cup with a green logo jumps out of any picture or view and meets your eye instantly?

Probably not.

What is true, is that when you do see that green logo with the siren/maiden/lady thing, it’s unmistakably ‘Starbucks’.

Last December, and piloted initially in the US, Starbucks launched a packaging campaign so great they gained the highest number of video views that season for their campaign advert:

Over 76 million views in under 1.5 months!

They beat all other brands across the whole period of Thanksgiving through to New Year 2018!

How?

They made their already iconic cup unusual and exciting.

Starting with an initial concept for the design of the holiday-season coffee cup, the cup featured seasonal, warming outlines of images of Christmas and merriment; wrapped presents, snowflakes and coca, all nestled around the Starbucks logo.

Starbucks pink packaging
Credit: Starbucks

Their short video, below, simply explained that you can “make the holiday your own” then featured the newly designed cup changing colours – you design your own!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53EgSWqQOwE

The cups in the advert feature all different colour schemes, vibrant and bold.

Even if the cups were coloured in terribly, they would be an object of humour and still likely standout.

Artists and within-the-lines-perfectionists would have really gone for it, only for the cup to then serve as a work of art and, you guessed it, free, ‘boosted’ advertising for Starbucks!

The campaign ticked all the boxes for the consumer; interaction and engagement with the product/brand, something different, something exciting (adults get to be big kids), and most of all, something personal.

 

Top Tips For Standout Packaging

As with Starbucks, doing something different to other people similar to you, will go a long way towards making you standout.

Though no longer trading, Californian-based bakers The Crazy Good Bread Co, are an example of a company whose packaging stood out because it was unusual:

standout bread packaging

Doing something slightly ‘against the grain’ will help you to get your packaging noticed, and that includes packaging your bread in a weird card holder thing.

Staying ahead of the curve is another way for your packaging to to stand out.

At a time when environmental concerns have never been higher, ensuring that you fully embrace the green/eco-friendly approach to waste and packaging will serve you really well.

Given that there are many, many businesses yet to do so, you will establish your brand as a conscious and progressive company that listens to its customers and considers carefully its own ethos and attitudes – this is a powerful consideration that certainly doesn’t go unnoticed.

Have a think about keeping it simple.

An effective way to make your takeaway packaging stand out from the crowd is to strip back your packaging.

Consider simple paper-wrapping techniques fastened and sealed with a sticker featuring a strong logo.

Stickers can be custom designed with your logo and the simplicity of the packaging will seem intriguing in its modesty and harks back to a more traditional approach to packaging takeaway food.

 

If you’ve got some ideas that you’re not sure of or you’re looking for inspiration to build on an already outstanding packaging concept then get in touch with our in-house design time who will be happy to bounce some ideas around and offer some advice.

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The Eco-Friendly Future of Packaging
eco-friendly packaging campaign

Coffee shop owners are under increasing pressure to prevent the majority of their disposable coffee cups ending up in landfill sites.

The need for change in the packaging industry and the handling of packaging waste has never been greater.

So far we’ve witnessed the likes of coffee giants Starbucks and Pret A Manger offering a discount of up to 50p to customers who bring in their own reusable coffee cups.

However, take-up on this is still relatively low.

At Takeaway Packaging are now offering eco-friendly compostable coffee cups in order to further promote a low-waste approach to packaging.

Compostable Cup - Cobbs Farm

Importantly this will allow takeaway coffee vendors to take control of the situation themselves rather than relying on their customers to share the sentiment and bring in their reusable cups.

We believe that this is where the real changes can be made.

Outside of the coffee industry, global retailers are also starting to take note of the demand for a greener approach to packaging.

According to the charity Greenpeace, Coca-Cola are one of the worst offenders when it comes to environmentally harmful plastic packaging waste with an estimated 110 billion plastic bottles being produced and wasted each year!

The bottles are the most commonly found item on the ocean floor and amongst the debris during beach clean-ups.

To address this problem, Coca-Cola have pledged to collect and recycle all of its plastic bottles by 2030.

The supermarket chain Iceland has revealed plans to remove all plastic packaging from its produce by 2023.

McDonald’s, the world’s largest restaurant business, has committed to ensuring that all of its packaging will come from sustainable sources by 2025.

This is all part of a global initiative to solve a global packaging problem.

Eco-friendly pledge

The world’s largest producers of plastic and other materials harmful to the environment must adhere to new laws and regulations imposed on them to reduce waste; the PM Theresa May has pledged to ban all avoidable plastic waste in the UK by 2042.

While these regulations may differ for smaller businesses, it is important that you do not get left behind as consumers are getting savvy and environmentally conscious.

Perhaps that most encouraging aspect of this global shakeup and endeavour to reduce waste is that the need for change is being demanded by the customers.

After all, just 1 in 400 cups are recycled, which is less than 0.25%, and as many as half a million coffee cups are littered each day in the UK.

Eco-friendly future

With more brands striving to be environmentally conscious, the compostable coffee cup is without doubt the right choice for any takeaway coffee business.

Unlike standard coffee cups which can’t be easily recycled due to their polyethylene (PE) lining, our compostable coffee cups are manufactured in either single or double wall and lined with polylactic acid (PLA).

PLA is a biodegradable plastic which is derived from renewable sources such as corn starch and sugar cane.

As part of our #TakeawayPackagingForChange campaign, we aim to convert all our existing customers to biodegradable and compostable food and drink packaging by 2020.

Consider your own approach to waste and how your use of packaging might be contributing landfill sites.

Get in touch to find out how we can help you to make the transition to recyclable packaging, your customers will love you for it!

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The Most Expensive Coffee in the World
craft coffee takeaway

The new year is underway and everyone is drinking more coffee to get them through the day.

Here at Takeaway Packaging our eyes are wider than ever and, though still Winter, we’ve certainly got a spring in our step.

You see, we like to road-test all our products in order to provide first-hand knowledge and advice to our customers.

This means we know just what it’s like to drink coffee from a Double-Wall cup versus a Ripple Cup and what that’s like over a Compostable Cup.

We’ve been drinking a LOT.

We have drawn the line at tastings of different coffees in the same cup (mainly for health reasons), but it has got us thinking (mainly in bed, late at night, unable to sleep), where in the world does the very best coffee come from?

What follows is a low down of the best (and most expensive) coffees the world has to offer.

As a benchmark for price, Starbucks’ House Blend retails at £3.50/200g bag of beans.

 

Blue Mountain Coffee – Jamaica

We start our journey 5,000ft above sea level in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. These mountains are famed for their rare, small-batch coffee plantations.

The beans undergo a meticulous process of grading and sorting which ensures quality consistency.

As an indication of this coffee’s rarity, the annual yield of Blue Mountain beans is about 0.1% of the coffee produced in Columbia, and nearly 80% of the produce is exported to Japan.

Because the plantations are so high, they are exposed to an abundance of heavy rainfall which contributes to enhanced growth.

All this rain makes for a particularly pulpy, fleshy fruit (referred to as the cherry) which gives this coffee bean it’s famous balanced and mild flavour.

Best price we’ve found: £40 /200g

fresh takeaway coffee

Kopi Luwak – Indonesia

Coffee snobs will have definitely been expecting this one, and possibly those with a passion for the, different.

Luwak coffee undergoes a very ‘special’ process in order to become the well-loved, revered and expensive coffee that it is.

The coffee fruit is eaten by wild, free-to-roam Asian palm civets. If you don’t know what a civet is, here’s a scientific description: it looks like a cross between a cat, a mongoose, a weasel and a racoon.

speciality takeaway coffee

Once the civet has finished chomping on the bittersweet fruit, the fruit is fermented inside the civet’s stomach during digestion.

The next step, if you haven’t already guessed, is retrieving the leftover coffee bean… from the feces.

It’s this delicate and time consuming process that makes this coffee so unique. Once roasted the end result is a sweeter-tasting coffee having been altered by exposure to the chemicals which aid the civet’s digestion process.

Best price we’ve found: £64 /200g
(Watch out for less ethically farmed varieties where the civet is not wild or free-to-roam)

Kopi Luwak takeaway coffee

Hacienda La Esmeralda (Geisha) – Panama

When someone speaks of coffee plantations, Panama is seldom the country that gets a mention. Rather, Panamanian coffee seems somewhat an unusual concept altogether.

Far west in Panama, the region of Boquete is home to highland, jungle-esque plantations responsible for some of the most expensive coffee beans on record.

What’s more, this Geisha variety of bean has cleaned up at nearly every major global coffee tasting awards.

Not only does it taste great but production is truly epic. Picking the coffee fruit is no walk in the park, instead it is back-breaking and tedious work.

Coffee pickers have to fight steep highlands, slippery slopes, heat, fire ants and snakes!

All this for an hourly wage of just over £1/hr.

Similarly to Blue Mountain coffee, growth is promoted by frequent rain which is enjoyed by the coffee plants for nine months of the year.

When not raining, shade is sorely needed as protection from the sun and this is afforded to the coffee plants by guava trees.

The yield is small and the production slow. The result is a very expensive coffee, but every self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur should strive to try it.

Good luck getting ahold of these beans as most of what’s produced is sold through specialist auction houses.

Best price we’ve found: £70.40 /200g

Takeaway coffee Panama

And the winner is..

Black Ivory Coffee – Thailand

Much like Kopi Luwak, here we have another coffee that undergoes an extra special process.

This time, however, the coffee bean is ‘refined’ by the Thai elephant!

Chiang Saen, the northernmost region of Thailand, where the country intersects Myanmar and Laos, is where Black Ivory coffee is made.

Part of what makes this coffee so extremely expensive is that the producer uses the very Panamanian Geisha beans described above.

The elephants are looked after extremely well by their Mahouts and they live a good life.

When the beans are ingested by the elephants it can take anywhere between 15 to 70 hours for the coffee to be digested and excreted.

As with the civet, an enzymatic reaction takes place in the stomach of the elephant.

Digestive acid breaks down the bitterness-causing protein in the coffee fruit.

Less protein equals less bitterness.

In general, herbivores utilize a lot more fermentation to digest their food which is great because it helps to bring out the sugar of the coffee and impart the fruit of a cherry into the bean.

Best price we’ve found: £162 /200g (USD$1,100/kg)

Black coffee takeaway cup

That’s over 46 times more expensive than the Starbucks House Blend.

Bear in mind that all of these prices are a retail price for beans. Price per cup at a cafe would be on another level!

Happily, the animal-dung process for creating sippable delicacies isn’t exclusive to the coffee world.

Tea-drinkers can now rejoice in the knowledge that a they too can get in on this recycled-goodness.
There have been some exciting plans in China to produce organic green tea which has been consumed by a panda bears.

Watch this space.

So whether it’s gone in and come out, drink in or drink out, talk to us about the best way to serve your coffee with our wide range of takeaway coffee cups.

Our bespoke design service means that your takeaway coffees can look as weird and wonderful as the coffee inside!

boutique black coffee
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4 Packaging Design Trends of 2018
coffee cups of the future

The new year is upon us, time to make changes to your packaging for 2018.

Through a combination of our extensive industry knowledge (Takeaway-Packaging-inner-genius) and consulting a very large crystal ball in our office, we’ve been considering what will be in store for takeaway packaging in the next 12 months.

This article will tell you everything you need to know to have the trendiest packaging going!

In short, we’ve compiled the four major trends that are set to catch the eye of your customers in 2018. Here’s a run-down of creative ideas for those purchasing takeaway packaging which will ensure your packaging stays bang-on trend and ahead of the game.

 

Nostalgia – Old Fashioned & Retro Packaging

It’s not hard to notice the huge wave of throwback design currently happening.

All of a sudden shell suits, knitting, flares and dodgy hair is back in fashion and while that’s going on everyone is sipping ‘craft’ gin or prohibition-style cocktails. There’s still an insatiable appetite and desire to indulge in a bygone era.

People yearn for the past because they are seeking greater individuality which existed in times of less competition. You should aim to pander to this feeling.

Is it, perhaps, that what we’re all searching for is some integrity in our product choices and what we consume? Maybe a side-step from mass-produced crowded markets?

Nowadays many of us favour the ornate, we look for craftsmanship, the handmade and skilled approach.

This is showing no signs of slowing in the 12 months to come.

It’s this consumer preference that really encourages the personality of a brand to come to the fore. Companies must differentiate themselves and display their personalities through patterns and detailing on their packaging.

Let’s not forget, care and attention to detail on the packaging speaks volumes about the deliciousness of the food or drink on the inside. Do judge a falafel wrap by its packaging!

Stuck for ideas? Think paisley print, Dickensian sideburns, pictures of bicycles and moustaches.

Old fashioned coffee print
Awesome coffee cup

Textured Packaging & Labels

Texture on packaging and labelling is soaring in popularity and demand. This is because it includes other sensory feelings before contact is even made with the packaging contents.

In many cases texture plays a vital role in both style and function.

A perfect example of this and one that is guaranteed to set off your hot drinks on the right track in January is our very own Executive Paper Coffee Cups.
These use an eye-catching, trend-setting, two-tone grid design and ultra-firm ribbing which looks and feels great, even before you’ve tried the coffee!

Emboss, deboss, textured paper, textiles, whatever you choose, it’s bound to get bigger in the new year.

Check out our range of textured packaging.

Takeaway Packaging - Coffee Cups

Environmentally Focussed & Renewable Sources

Consumers and brands have become ever more environmentally conscious.

There is an increasing availability of renewable materials which also helps to promote their use. Those purchasing takeaway packaging can now get hold of more obscure materials such as wood fibres, shrimp shells, mushrooms or sugarcanes to replace harmful polymers.

Safe and responsible packaging is the go-to option for consumers who are concerned about the environment and who want to have greater control over their waste.

Of particular concern at the moment is the terrible issue of plastics in the ocean.

Last month, the Independent reported “around eight million tons of plastic makes its way into oceans each year, where it gets eaten by fish or birds. More than a million seabirds and 100,000 sea mammals die annually from getting caught in or swallowing the waste.”

To combat this the Chancellor is considering a tax on takeaway packaging with particular regard to single-use packaging. This follows the charge on plastic carrier bags.

Raising awareness is one thing but attacking the problem at its source is the only way that the problem will be resolved which is why the rise of zero-waste initiatives are driving the trend in eco-packaging.

Browse through our selection of green packaging options to consider how you can help.

compostable drinks cup

Minimalist Design

Our final trend spot which has entered onto the radar more recently is the minimalist approach to packaging design.

In many cases, we’ve seen a surge of packaging with ultra-minimal imagery or even the stripping away of graphic elements entirely.

Many brands are opting for a cleaner, ‘essentialist’ look which avoids noisiness and excessive information.

This theme is rife throughout the takeaway industry already and definitely looks set to stay as we’ve found that a number of brands want to customize just their labelling and leave the rest of the packaging plain, letting the material speak for itself.

Consider how you can adopt these trends into your packaging arsenal. A good brand and logo should cater for a versatile approach to packaging.

Get in touch for expert advice on choosing the right packaging styles to suit your company making 2018 your trendiest year yet!

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7 Steps to Designing a Great Logo
Duplo Windows Logo Lego

We can all recall the logos of great brands and successful companies, but what makes them so good?

What makes Apple’s logo so distinctive?

How is it that Starbucks don’t need to write their name on their coffee cups?

For many companies, their logo is simply an extension of their brand and their message, directly correlating to the product or service they provide. Think Burger King; their logo is essentially just a burger.

For others, there’s a charming story behind the design. Apple picked their logo because they felt that apple is a friendly fruit.
Think about other associations with apples, Snow White for example: much like Apple hardware, she is beautiful, pure and a lover of apples. (Note, this example works if you ignore the poison).

Apple Logo

Later, to make the logo unmistakably an apple and not say, a plum or a lemon, the ‘bite’ was added. Of course, this also allowed geeks take great pleasure in ‘byte’ puns.

So what about that strange-looking lady with the crown on Starbucks coffee cups?

This was actually conceived as a literary reference. Supposedly she was based on a Siren from Melville’s Moby-Dick and the name was taken from the Captain’s first mate, Starbuck.

There’s no doubt that although the Starbucks lady doesn’t scream ‘coffee’, its originality certainly makes it stand out from the crowd, not to mention the pleasing-green colouring. Instead, she screams ‘Starbucks’ (and possibly beautiful songs to lure sailors), and Starbucks screams coffee.

However a logo is initially conceived, it’s only through exploring the logos of brands such as Apple and Starbucks that we can learn from their success.

We have provided some lessons and important considerations which you can employ to make your logo more distinctive and appealing on takeaway packaging.

Starbucks Coffee Cup

Simple

Logos are used as a form of rapid identification. Keeping things simple will mean that your customers can identify with a particular brand in an instant.

Have a look at the Starbucks logo and consider how simple and low in detail it is without losing any impact or clarity.

Remember to avoid over-complication. Your logo should be as concise as your own verbal description of what your do, just like when you’re at a party or a networking event and someone asks you what you do. Keep it clean, clear and avoid fussiness.

Distinctive

Aim to stand out and be distinctive, set yourself apart from the crowd. What can you do to be a little different without losing the elements of your message?

For the same reasons as keeping your logo simple, rapid recognition of your brand is key and the success of your branding and marketing will be down to how quickly customers identify with your logo.

If your logo gets lost in busy visual environments, how might this affect your advertising?

Targeted

Don’t forget to continue asking yourself questions about the relevance of your logo. Is it relevant and to your industry?

Does it speak to your target audience? Lots of pastile colours and cartoon characters might suit a younger audience better than an older one.

Just don’t rush to use pound signs if you’re in a luxury market, subtlety ought to prevail sometimes!

Lamborghini-logo

Versatile

For versatility, consider the application of your logo.

Will your logo work in a video as well as it might printed on a letterhead? Will its impact be diluted by the use of different sizes or formats?
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but simplicity will serve you well here (again) and help to ensure that in the face of versatility, your logo’s message remains clear and consistent.

What if colour were to be removed from the equation, would that cause anything be lost? Or what if your logo were to be set against a dark background instead of a light one?

Speak to a graphic designer about drawing up your logo in a vector format, this will ensure that no detail or quality is lost upon resizing.

Appropriate

Making sure that your logo is appropriate to your business will ensure that it remains true to your brand and that the marketing you do is effective. Apple’s logo is simple and aesthetically pleasing which appropriately reflects the simplistic design and beauty of its products.

If your logo is too obscure it might detract from your brand message. If it’s too obvious it might seem unoriginal and blend in with other logos in your industry.

Another point worth thinking about is avoiding an over-reliance on a particular object or theme relating to your business. This is important in case you decide that further down the line you want to expand your service offering.

Memorable

How easily can your logo be recalled in someone’s mind? It doesn’t always require seeing something hundreds of times over in order to recall the picture in your mind. Again, think back to Starbucks, it’s easy to conjure the image of the pointed crown and long, flowing hair of the siren.

Because it’s so memorable, Starbucks don’t need to include their name on their coffee cups. The green lady is unmistakably Starbucks.

This certainly isn’t an easy thing to achieve but ensuring you follow the other tips will certainly help you on your way – think simplicity and target audience for this one.

Maybe a literary reference isn’t such a jump when you consider the number of people that read books in coffee shops…

Timeless

Beards and check shirts might not always be trendy.

The same is true for your logo. Try to incorporate a degree of timelessness. Consider how quickly things can change across 3 years and bear this in mind for your logo design.

Things to avoid here are on-trend typefaces and imagery.

Talk to us about how our bespoke branding and design service can help you to make the most of your company brand and logo.

Once you have the logo design it’s time to decide what you’re going to print it on and to show if off to the world.

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Executive Paper Coffee Cups by Takeaway Packaging
Takeaway Packaging - Coffee Cups

Takeaway Packaging produce a varied range of disposable products and hot food containers, from straws to carrier bags to Takeaway coffee cups, all of which can be themed and branded – but have you seen our new stock range of Executive hot cups?

These cups have an eye-catching two-tone grid design and ultra-firm ribbing to ensure your fingers are not scolded. They are also double walled, which means they provide high quality insulation, perfect for any company that really cares about customer satisfaction.

Features

Two Tone Gold & Brown Cup
Ultra-Firm Ribbing
Double Wall – High Quality Insulation
Eye catching Grid Design
Disposable

3 Sizes Available

8oz  | 12oz  |  16oz

Discounts are available on larger orders, contact our sales team to receive a quote.

But we cannot forget about our wide range of Biodegradable cups. Did you know that, on average, around a third of customers prefer and actively seek brands that promote sustainable values? Given that Brits drink about 70 million cups of coffee per day, that’s a lot of sales that could be coming your way by switching to biodegradable coffee cups.

Interested in branding your Takeaway coffee cups?

We can brand your takeaway coffee cups for you with artwork and your logos. If you aren’t sure on the design, our talented creative team can assist you with all eventualities, from simple logo placement to full, detailed illustrations.