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Brilliant Branded Packaging for Mór Bakehouse
Mor Bakehouse Blog image

Nestled in the heart of Edinburgh lies Mór Bakehouse, a culinary gem celebrated for its homemade delights. With three locations across the city, the bakery, deli and coffee shop prides itself on its delicious pastries, pies, sausage rolls, and freshly made wraps and baguettes, made with only the best locally sourced Scottish ingredients. Their coffee deserves an honourable mention, too — serving their own artisanal blend from local coffee roasters. 

In 2022, Mór Bakehouse approached the team at Takeaway Packaging as they wanted a branded packaging experience that resonated with their brand. We were all too happy to deliver on competitive prices, fast delivery, and a commitment to eco-friendly products that met and exceeded the demands of Mór Bakehouse’s thriving business.

Keep reading to learn how we collaborated and helped craft distinctive branded packaging for bakery products that are as practical as they are useful.

What Packaging Does a Bakery and Deli Need?

With a diverse range of food and drink available for takeaway and delivery services like Deliveroo and Just Eat, Mór Bakehouse needs a variety of bakery packaging to keep their food fresh and easy to eat while on the go. Let’s dive in and take a look:

Coffee Cups:

Mor-Bakehouse-branded-Paper-cups-2

Coffee cups are essential for any coffee shop, and choosing to brand them is a clever, low-cost way to introduce branded packaging to your business. Mór Bakehouse chose a simple yet eye-catching style of a black coffee cup with their brand name in contrasting bold white letters to the front, making it instantly recognisable.

If you’re looking for branded coffee cups for your business, It’s super easy to order from us. Delivery is fast, and the quality of our sustainable cups is second to none. You can even choose from white or black eco-friendly lids to complement any style.

Shop Branded Coffee Cups

Greaseproof Paper

Mor-Bakehouse-branded-greaseproof-paper-copy

Mór Bakehouse uses printed greaseproof paper to line trays for sweet and savoury delights and wrap other takeout items like toasties, burgers and muffins. For this product, they opted for white paper, and their brand name and logo are in black, dotted across the paper. This simple yet distinguishable design means that their brand is always right and centre when customers are enjoying their tasty treats. 

Printed greaseproof paper is another fast and effective way to showcase your brand in-store and when selling takeouts. As an added benefit, it’s even 100% biodegradable.

Shop Printed Greaseproof Paper

Stickers

Mor-Bakehouse-branded-Printed-Stickers

Branded stickers can be used to unify your off-the-shelf packaging and are often a great starting point for small businesses looking to implement branded items. We love Mór Bakehouse’s choice to print their logo in sticker form and how they use it to add an identifiable touch to otherwise plain sandwich bags and bakery packaging.  

Stickers are so versatile that they can be applied to cups, bowls, sandwich bags, takeout bags and food containers. Not to mention, they’re also cost-effective!

Shop Branded Stickers

Greaseproof Bags

Mor-Bakehouse-branded-greaseproof-bags

Greaseproof bags are a convenient way to dish up freshly baked goods, hot pasties or warm baguettes. Mór Bakehouse put their brand front and centre with white greaseproof bags and a large black logo showing everyone exactly where they can get the tastiest treats in town. 

While minimum order quantities are higher than the products above, they prove cost-effective when ordered in bulk and are a great marketing tool for your business. 

Contact Us to Order Printed Greaseproof Bags

Kraft Bowls

Kraft bowls are perfect for serving up Mór Bakehouse’s fresh and healthy pasta and salads. They can be used for both hot and cold foods, making them a highly versatile solution for their many delicious food options. 

Kraft bowls look stylish on their own, thanks to their rustic and modern appeal, but we think they look even better printed with the Mór Bakehouse logo, which ties in with the rest of their takeaway packaging perfectly.

Contact Us to Order Branded Kraft Bowls

Takeaway Packaging and Mór Bakehouse: A Year On

We’re delighted to still be working with the team at Mór Bakehouse a year later. We now supply a comprehensive range of branded and non-branded packaging and have gone above and beyond to meet the needs of their growing business.  

What Mór Bakehouse Has to Say:

“Takeaway Packaging are the best in the business; they have assisted us with all of our packaging needs at Mór Bakehouse. I would highly recommend their team to all business owners.“  – JM Mór Bakehouse

Branded Packaging for Your Business

At Takeaway Packaging, we’re proud to offer a broad spectrum of low-cost, low-volume branded options, a wide range of keenly priced off-the-shelf packaging and competitive unit costs for high-volume branded food and drink packaging.

Sustainability is at the core of everything we do; that’s why all our packaging options benefit from being plastic-free and are recyclable, compostable or biodegradable, and we only print using vegetable-based inks. With our packaging for bakery products, not one crumb will be left behind when your customers are finished with your food and beverages, not even the packaging they came in.

Get in touch with us today and start your branded packaging journey. We’re here to help you create a memorable packaging experience that enhances your brand identity. 

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Custom Branding – Promote your brand on our Takeaway Packaging

Takeaway Packaging produce bespoke food packaging and supplies, all tailored to your requirements and designs. We provide a fully comprehensive service and offer support to our clients from initial concepts all the way through to delivery. Our expertise allows us to work closely with you to create visually appealing products for your business.

Continue reading “Custom Branding – Promote your brand on our Takeaway Packaging”
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How Do Designer Food Packaging and Caring for the Environment Mix?
How Do Designer Food Packaging and Caring for the Environment Mix

If something is a designer item, it has to be overboard and all about the image — and it absolutely cannot be considerate towards the environment, right? Wrong. Despite some high-end brands giving the luxury market a bad ethical reputation, designer packaging can cater to the conscious consumer in any sector — including food packaging.

If something is designed, it simply means is that it has been developed with great care and a clear target customer in mind. This is the case for our bespoke packaging, which is developed by our in-house teams of designers to create environmental food packaging that stands out for the customers of quirky brands. In this blog post, we will discuss how a careful design process can tackle our food packaging problems by offering sustainable yet stylish alternatives.

How Does Food Packaging Affect the Environment?

There is plenty of evidence to show that food packaging and the environment have a strained relationship, to say the least. As a result of our throwaway culture and reliance on convenience comforts, we have created some shocking food packaging waste statistics. Most notably, there is predicted to be 12 billion tonnes of plastic waste in landfill by 2050. The most severe food packaging problems affect the earth’s natural environment, polluting our oceans and negatively impacting sea life.

In short, something needs to change in food packaging to protect the environment for future generations. Crucially, we need to eliminate the use of harmful plastic in food containers and other packaging products so that Brits can feel less guilty about their takeaways. But on top of this, brands still want to use their packaged products to inject some personality into their offering. Environmental packaging needs to be designed with care so that it both protects the environment and promotes the supplier.

Can Designer Food Packaging Still Be Recycled? 

Yes, designer food packaging can still be recycled. In fact, basic packaging from your average takeaway is most likely made from harmful plastic.

A tip for consumers deciding to buy: a brand is less likely to put its name on something if it would be ashamed of its impact on the environment. In this sense, branded food packaging is more likely to be 100% recyclable, biodegradable and compostable (but always check for certified UK recycling symbols to make sure).

By using different packaging materials for food, such as the Ingeo™ PLA Bioplastic used in our biodegradable coffee cups, we can create food packaging that is 100% recyclable. We use vegetable-based inks to print bespoke designs on these cups (and various other products in our range) so that designer food packaging can blend seamlessly with caring for the environment.

How Can We Reduce Plastic in Food Packaging and Make Sure It’s on Brand?

Others are now understanding the importance of packaging to the environment and rephrasing what luxury means by prioritising sustainable strategies. The purpose of food packaging is shifting from simply being a container for food to being a driver for change and an effective tool for promotion.

Some of our most successful clients have embraced the traditional eco look by sticking with brown paper cups and a simple logo, like Cobbs Farm. Others have stayed true to their roots, embodying their iconic designs while using sustainable packaging, although you wouldn’t know it unless you were told (much like Ferrari’s 70th birthday burger boxes). This proves that sustainability never has to get in the way of style and that opting for environmental food packaging is a choice that won’t tarnish your brand image — in fact, it might even enhance it.

Create your own stylish and sustainable food packaging that doesn’t harm the environment by booking your free design consultation. Our expert team of in-house designers will help you to develop a creative brief for food packaging that pops.

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7 Examples of Ingenious Design
Ingenious design

Examples of great design are all around us and many form the backbone of our day-to-day living.

As keen enthusiasts for creative and functional design we’ve been exploring the very greatest examples, that is, the ingenious designs that have shaped the world, transformed onerous tasks into doddles, and those that are simply great in their own way!

design ideas

The Juicy Salif

In case you weren’t aware, The Juicy Salif is the actual name for the transformative and wondrous groovy metal lemon squeezer found in homes across the globe.

Phillipe Starck’s famous 1990 design, is one of the best in its class for industrial design and has even been exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Modeled on the shape of a squid and cast in polished aluminium, this device is a dream for anyone wanting to extract the soury goodness from citrus fruits.

Function and form standing and excelling together – if you haven’t used one, you haven’t lived. 

Salif design

Dyson Cool Fan

James Dyson is undoubtedly a pioneer.

Tucked away in his top secret location which is constantly under threat from undercover employees (moles) planted by competitors, he can’t stop coming up with amazing inventions.

Of course, the bagless, cyclone vacuum cleaner was an absolute game-changer, but what we really want to celebrate is his bladeless fans!

The Dyson Cool Fan is a sensational device that does exactly what it proposes while looking great, blowing our minds (and hair) and keeping fingers and cats safer than ever!

Rotate, speed up, slow down, this piece of tech is as revolutionary in function as its beautiful zen-like circular design (or elongated if you get the larger model).

What’s more, the latest models claim to be 75% quieter than their previous versions.

dyson design

Coca-Cola Glass Bottle

In the pursuit of creating something of great recognition, the iconic Coca-Cola glass contour bottle was created.

It dates back all the way to 1915 when designer Earl R. Dean attempted to design something which could be recognised even in the dark as well as paying homage to the product inside.

The resulting shape that we’re so fond of today – influenced by the ingredients – stems from the shape a cocoa pod which Dean discovered in his encyclopedia, having first ruled out images of the cocoa leaf and Kola nut.

coca cola design

iPod, iPhone, iPad

Game. Changed.

Apple have been rocking the world for decades now.

Thanks to Sir Jonathan Ive – the quite-rightly exalted industrial designer behind these products – Apple have soared to become one of the largest (and wealthiest) companies on the planet.

The products are graceful in both design and user experience.

The touch-screen interface makes for a multi-sensory approach with softly gliding screens and pinching motions that serve to enhance the simple, understated elegance of the hardware.

Apple are almost guaranteed to make any list in the modern age relating to great design.

apple design
ipod design

Thermos Vacuum Flask

Sir James Dewar, chemist and physicist, invented the vacuum flask in 1892.

As many of us will have learned in school science classes, the flask consists of two walls that have air vacuumed out from between them to keep liquids either hot or cold, for longer.

Unfortunately, the tale turns a little cold…

You see, Dewar never patented his invention, leaving it wide open to the German company, Thermos GmbH, who snapped up the idea and began manufacturing it themselves in 1904.

Once in production, they patented the design and left Dewar with no rights to the product.

thermos design

Weber Barbecue Grill

George A. Stephen’s 1950 design can still be found in gardens and garden centres today.

Weber Brothers Metal Works was metal fabricator that primarily made buoys.

While working there, Stephen – being a dab hand in the kitchen –  was frustrated with his open-brick grill, because he felt that it produced uneven heat and too much smoke.

Moreover, the open top allowed too much wind to blow ashes into his food!

Not one to be easily defeated, and being the metal works bright spark that he was, Stephen took half a buoy and welded three steel legs onto it.

Unbeknownst to Stephen, he’d just revolutionised garden parties, forever!

Weber-Stephen Products Co. was born, and with it, one of the most iconic cooking objects to date!

weber grill design

The Bicylce

There is nothing more efficient than a man, or woman, on a bicycle.

S.S. Wilson, an engineering lecturer at Oxford University, took it upon himself to carry out an efficiency study.

The study was published in Scientific American in 1973.

Wilson found that a person on a bicycle was more efficient than any other animal or machine. Ever.

Now, without trying to blind anyone with science, according to Wilson, a cycling human uses a fifth of the energy as one walking; 0.15 calories per gram of bodyweight per km for cycling, versus 0.75 for walking.

Human efficiency

Casual cyclists travel about 9-12 mph while a person walking travels about 3 mph, resulting in cyclists being 15-20 times more efficient than a person walking (per hour) and about 5 times more efficient than the most efficient animal, which is the American Condor.

Through form and function, the humble push bike is therefore an ingenious design which has remained as effective (and efficient!) as it has timeless and classic.

bicycle design
cycle design
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How to Design Packaging for a Subscription Service
subscription service design

Something which comes up an awful lot in the packaging channels of this world, is how best to design packaging suited to a subscription service.

Given our love of all things design and packaging, we thought we’d share some core tips on the sorts of things you need to consider about your packaging designs.

Using the example of a box, this will range from the dimensions of the box to the type of box used.

We follow with some pointers around graphic design and also cover the often overlooked aspect of enhanced advertising.

Many businesses will tell you that it’s often very easy to get carried away with the design elements of a new packaging idea.

While it’s fundamental to the success of a brand’s image and perception, it’s not all about design – choosing the right style and size of the box can hugely impact your profitability.

Subscription service gift

Size Matters – Think Inside The Box

Make sure you’re clear on exactly what will be going in the box or packaging each time you send it and try to use as small a box as possible.

This will help you in a number of ways:

Lower costs on manufacturing and materials (namely cardboard).

A smaller box, and subsequently a reduction in the weight of the box, leaves more allowance for weight of the items themselves, resulting in lower overall shipping costs.

Client retention: customers will perceive the contents to be of greater value – the smaller the box, the fuller it seems

Whereas, if your box is too big and there’s too much space for your products, it will seem underfilled.

In cases where you need to send larger packaging to accommodate an anomaly item, go for two!

Even with two on the odd occasion, you’ll find that you still achieve a saving on your shipping costs – 11 months smaller box and 1 month two boxes.

subscription service items

What’s Your Style?

There are a lot of factors to consider here:

Is your box suitable to ship as it is, or will you need a secondary box to ship it in?

What about the style?

Keep in mind your budget here: 2-piece trays tend to give an impression of higher quality but this might mean you need to use a secondary shipping box – increasing your shipping costs.

On the other hand, tuck-fold closures are great for rapid production. You can cut down on labour and packing time by packing in advance.

One great tip is to use the shipping label as the securing tape.

Holding on to the pennies? Then the classic stock box aka one-piece folder cut-out might be the right option for you.

However, if you want a custom, non-stock shape then you may find you need to purchase the box-shape-cutter itself, once you’ve had it made.

Office subscription service

Think Outside The Box

The best way to think of your box is as a piece of directly mailed advertising with a 100% engagement rate!

It’s like sending an email you know is going to be opened.

This is your opportunity to sell through your packaging.

It’s completely up to you what elements you include, whether calls to action, offers or incentives.

Think social media sharing prompts, upsell offers or refer a friend options as great ways to increase sales.

Whatever it is, remember to test and measure.

subscription service design

Graphic design & Artwork

Creating your own artwork is extremely rewarding but equally time consuming and difficult to do if you want a really professional finish.

If you don’t have an in-house graphic designer, then don’t despair!

We have a team dedicated to designing and producing fully bespoke, personal designs that are the perfect representation of your brand.

Generally speaking, on the graphic design and printing front, the more varied and full of colour your design, the more it’ll cost to print.

Using laminate coverings can create a very clean cut finish suited to more premium-styled packages.

Stay aware of the different features, forms and styles as these will either hurt or boost your bottom line in different ways!

Subscription service art design

Partner Up!

At Takeaway Packaging we provide a completely custom packaging service to suit any brand.

With our packaging and design expertise alongside our legendary joke-telling and enviable good looks, we make the perfect partner for your subscription packaging service.

To find out much more about the options available, drop us a line and let’s chat!

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Weird and Wonderful Packaging Designs
Corporate identity template set with pattern of baked goods. Business stationery mock-up with logo sample. Set of paper bag, cup, cards etc. Vector illustration.

Along with a lot of things in life, like people and potatoes, takeaway packaging comes in many different shapes and sizes.

Sometimes weirdness and oddities are fun and exciting.

Other times, unusual designs can turn out to be ground-breaking and super practical.

Sadly, it is also true that some takeaway packaging is just bonkers and simply ugly.

If you haven’t already guessed, we’ve gathered some examples of the above, so what follows is a candid analysis of takeaway packaging: the good, the bad and the ugly!

 

McDonalds Stack Box 4/10

Not everything that’s inspired is a good idea and nor is it guaranteed to take off.

This new Mcdonald’s concept meal packaging is one of those…

mcdonalds packaging

We can see where the designer is going with this one, but, really, it seems to be trying too hard.

The sachets balancing on top are stressful and precarious at best and, essentially, we feel that there is too much that can go wrong with the stacked up top-heavy design.

A commendable design, but we think: just stick to a recyclable paper bag!

 

Scottish Munchies Box 5/10

Let’s be honest, there’s a whole host of things to do in the world that are no good for us, but by Jove we’ll do ‘em!

This wonderfully artisanal creation from our Northern neighbours is no exception to the host of guilty pleasures and ill-advised pastimes that we all secretly love, and what’s more, the innovative use of takeaway packaging to accommodate such a dark masterpiece is, well, inspired…

May we present to you, The Munchies Box!

Munchies packaging

What’s in it? Everything.

One pizza box, filled with everything (including cheesy chips and kebab meat).

We were a little divided on scoring this one but concluded that Scotland’s Munchies Box gets 5/10; 10 points for being so brazen and unabashed but -5 points for the terribly ugly packaging.

 

Hand-held Pie Packaging 8/10

You can’t go far wrong with something that’s really simple.

What you see is what you get with this top-notch pie packaging.

Pie packaging

It’s a cardboard sleeve that finishes in a nice semi-circle on each side to compliment the circular shape of the pie, but it doesn’t stop there!

Those very same semi-circle-shaped ends are actually flaps which fold right back on themselves to enable the eater to get stuck in straight away!

Of course, pies tend to be about a few degrees above scolding for roughly 3 hours, but once the wait is over, you’re away.

Recyclable, easy to serve in, easy to eat from, nice.

 

Pizza Plate 10/10

Now this we love!

Pizza packaging

And here’s 5 reasons why:

  1. Pizza is great
  2. It folds flat which means you don’t have to rest your wrists on the corrugated and harsh edges of a traditional not-flat pizza box.
  3. It’s got little cutlery holders which are adorable and very practical, because;
  4. Greasy fingers are not great.
  5. It folds up into a perfect carry case which is stylish and easy to hold.

Top marks for Pizza Plate.

 

Tuna Burger Box 7/10

This next packaging design concept scores quite high on our list.

As mentioned previously, we’re fans of keeping it simple.

Tuna burger packaging

An honest, cardboard box is tricky to criticise and, particularly where burgers are concerned.

The box aspect is greatly suited to catching any falling debris and burger goodness which means you don’t have to worry about being shunned by your pals if you go in for the ‘5 second rule’, but they don’t!

What makes this design especially enjoyable is the decoy writing on the side.

Most people think they’re getting a jacket potato, when in fact, they open up the simple box and BOOM! It’s a tuna burger!

 

Paper Cup Tea Holder 3/10

This tea holder does not fill us with confidence.

tea holder packaging

It would be great if you wanted to look as British as possible while drinking from a takeaway cup, because you can hold it like a china cup with your pinky finger extended and sip away dandily.

However, as a heat guard, we can’t understand why the traditional sleeve needs changing.

It doesn’t look study and we’re not convinced that the dainty looking holder has that ‘grab a coffee and go’ feel to it.

Here’s another thing I bet you hadn’t thought of: whose cup holder can accommodate that shape!?

We think this design is ‘over egging the pudding’ somewhat and the humble, yet sturdy and effective, heat sleeve ought to be left to doing the fine job that it does.

 

If you’re considering standing out from the crowd or shaking up the packaging status quo in your town, then give our team a call about custom design.

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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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3 Tasty Noodle Recipes
Takeaway Noodles

There’s an old Chinese proverb which says that the longer the noodles you eat the longer you live.

The Takeaway Packaging crew all agree that they want to live as long and as fully as possible, so we put our heads together, scoured dozens of recipes, heated our woks and trialled an insane amount of noodles.

We picked out the 3 best and easy to make noodle recipes that can be enjoyed on the go, in the office, in the park, and work perfectly in our bespoke noodle boxes.

No matter how long the noodles you serve to your customers, you can guarantee delight with these tasty recipes and impress with our customized boxes.

 

Asian Garlic (Spaghetti) Noodles

(For full details check out damndelicious.net)

Makes 4 servings
Prep Time: 30 mins

This recipe is amazing, quick and uses the ingredients you will already have.

No fuss, super delicious.

If you allow spaghetti to count as noodles then you can get some really long ‘noodles’ and you’ll basically live forever!

You need:
225g Spaghetti
1 tbsp olive oil
225g sliced mushrooms
1 diced red pepper
2 diced courgettes
1 grated carrot
2 tbsp fresh chopped coriander leaves

(optional) 350g peeled medium-size prawns

For the sauce
80ml reduced sodium soy sauce
3 minced garlic cloves
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp ground fresh chili paste (or more if you like it fiery!)
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 tbsp sesame oil

Directions

  • In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, chilli paste, oyster sauce, ginger and sesame oil; set aside.
  • In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta; drain well.
  • Heat olive oil in a large pan/wok over medium high heat.
  • If including add prawns, and 2 tablespoons soy sauce mixture, and cook, stirring occasionally, until pink, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.
  • Otherwise/then stir in mushrooms, pepper, courgettes and carrot to the wok.
  • Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Stir in spaghetti, (prawns) and remaining soy sauce mixture until well combined, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Serve immediately, garnished with coriander.
Takeaway Noodle Recipes

Chungah Rhee: Image Source

Gluten-Free Mexican Chicken Noodle Soup

(For the original recipe head over to Heather Christo’s post on heatherchristo.com)

Makes 8 servings
Prep Time: 11 mins

Noodle dishes don’t always have to contain gluten and they don’t always have to be Asian.

This recipe is as interesting and different as it is delicious.

Delight your customers with this gluten-free takeaway option and rest assured they’ll be back!

You need:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 finely diced yellow onion
1 minced clove garlic
330g fresh chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 litre chicken broth
180g diced celery
4 large peeled and diced carrots
1 ‘ear’ of corn (cut off the cob)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
435g cooked, shredded chicken breasts
227g gluten-free spaghetti noodles
Garnish: chopped avocado, cherry tomatoes, fresh coriander, lime wedges

Directions:

  • In a large pot, over medium heat add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the onion and the garlic.
  • Saute until soft and golden, 5-7 minutes.
  • Add the fresh tomatoes and cook, stirring in for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the dry spices and mix in and then the broth.
  • Bring the soup to a boil and then place a lid on the pot and turn to lowest heat, simmering for 15 minutes.
  • In the jar of a blender (in batches) or with an immersion blender, puree the soup base until smooth.
  • Add the diced celery, carrots and the corn.
  • Add the oregano and chicken breast and stir to combine.
  • Place the lid back on the pot and simmer for another 15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente.
  • When the pasta is cooked, rinse well with cold water and then add to the soup.
  • Season well with kosher salt and garnish with chopped avocado, cherry tomatoes and fresh coriander; serve with a lime wedge.
Takeaway noodles

Heather Christo: Image Source

Vegan Spicy Sesame & Peanut Noodles

(Recipe courtesy of Kathleen Henry via produceonparde.com)

Makes 6 servings
Prep Time: 25 mins

Vegan dishes have never been more popular. Keep your offering current and your vegan customers raving about you with this scrumptious dish.

Winter woes be gone! This warming lunchtime go-to is a sure winner!

You need:
550g dried spaghetti noodles
1 bunch of fresh chopped broccoli rabe, florets and stems
35g white sesame seeds + more for garnish
60ml sesame oil
60ml + 2 tbsp soy sauce
60ml rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp vegan granulated sugar
3 tbsp sliced fresh ginger
2 heaped tbsp creamy peanut butter
4 large roughly chopped garlic cloves
1 ½ tbsp fresh garlic chili paste, to taste
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
4 fresh sliced green onions

Directions:

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat for the pasta.
  • Cook according to the package, about 9 minutes, until al dente.
  • When there’s about 3 minutes left for the noodles to cook, add the chopped broccoli rabe to parboil.
  • Strain the noodles and broccoli rabe; return to the pot and set aside.
  • Meanwhile, in a small frying pan toast the sesame seeds over medium-low heat for about 5-8 minutes until slightly golden brown and fragrant, stirring frequently (taking care not to burn). Place in blender once finished.
  • Add the remaining ingredients in the blender along with the sesame seeds, excluding the green onions.
  • Blend on high until super smooth.
  • Stir into the cooked pasta and broccoli rabe until well combined along with the green onions.
  • Serve warm with a smile!
Vegan Takeaway Noodles

Kathleen Henry: Image Source

Whether they’re Mexican, Asian, gluten-free, vegan, sticky, cold or warm, your noodles will look best in our fully customizable takeaway noodle boxes.

Reach out to our design team to make sure that your branded packaging stands up to the tastiness of your noodles.

And remember, long noodles = long life!

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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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4 Fast Foods Set To Take 2018 By Storm
Street food packaging

There’s always an abundance of new fast foods to try. Whether it’s reborn again classics or healthy new concoctions from the latest hipster restaurant, fast food doesn’t just need to taste amazing; in the modern era it has to look amazing too.

Because fast food now has to satisfy another hunger: one for likes and comments on social media.

The importance of food aesthetics determines a large proportion of its popularity, but of course, there can be no sacrifice on taste.

Each year there are plenty of new food fads, here’s a rundown of some of our favourites you need to try in 2018.

 

Leon: Naturally Fast Food

Dubbed as the future of fast food, Leon is a rising star among fast food chains and the only feature in our list with a brick and mortar site.

Their founder wanted to move away from the realisation that conventional fast food “makes you fall asleep and wake up fat.”

Inspired by Mediterranean cuisine, think falafel wraps, mezzes, beautiful club salads and Sicilian chicken meatballs.

They cater for veggies, vegans, nut allergies, dairy and wheat intolerances, pescetarians, pregnant women, dieters, the adventurous and those who are really hungry.

Go to their website and be amazed at the future face of fast food outlets.

Takeaway fast food

“Indian” Street Food?

More than ever before there is a demand for new flavours, bold colours and exciting textures.

These days consumers want detail and specifics.

Simply saying “Indian” won’t cut it, foodies want to celebrate that their goat meat gosht dabal roti is from the Far-Western Indian Streets of Gujarat.

Globally there is an abundance of goat meat, and yet, in the UK it’s seldom found on our plates or in our takeaway curry boxes.

2018 will see a surge in UK-bred goat meat offerings which is erroneously referred to as mutton in India.

Keep your eyes peeled for curries, samosas, bajis and dahls all containing locally-farmed British billies.

Warming, spicy, and full of amazing flavours.

Many spots in London are serving spiced or mango-infused goat’s milk to wash down their spicy delights.

Fast food takeaway

Celebrate Vegan

Doner kebabs have, for a long time, been a taboo in the UK, being mainly consumed as ‘drunk food’ for clubbers wanting to binge on greasy meat in pitta at 2am on a Sunday to soak up the night’s excesses.

How times haven’t changed.

Happily, while the not-so-authentically-Greek kebab vendors continue to serve their nocturnal market, vegans of London can have their kebab and eat it, even for lunch.

What The Pitta are based in Shoreditch (E1) and serve vegan doner kebabs crammed full with spicy soy meat, chilli, salad, hummus and tzatziki.

So popular is this animal-friendly street snack, that WTP are expanding and are due to pop up in two more popular London spots.

The best part? You don’t need to drink 10 jagerbombs before you eat one!

Vegan takeaway packaging

The Cholesterol Stroll

Let’s face it.

Healthy is good, but sometimes, it’s good to be bad.

If you like cheese, this one’s for you.

If you haven’t already been to South Bermondsey’s Maltby Street Market (SE1), then shame on you!

Set among the iconic railway arches and frequented by artistes, trendies and foodies, this market is a long alleyway which is, shockingly, unfamous.

Meander your way through the crowd and get in line for The Raclette Brothers.

Hailing from the Savoie region of alpine France, traditionally this cheese would have been melted over fires, but the guys at Raclette Brothers use special raclette grills that allow them to scrape waves of cheese onto herby potatoes and pickles.

Of course, you can opt for the sausage option which inevitably disappears under a sea of cheese.

Don’t worry, it’s aggressively-topped with maple-bacon crumb.

The key to this incredibly indulgent delight is to simply not think about it, just enjoy it.

You will not be dissapointed!

Pour-overs and lashings of melted Raclette cheese gives a whole new meaning to naughty but nice.

Packaging for Fast food

If you’re running a pop-up outlet or thinking about a street stall this summer, talk to us about our range of bespoke takeaway packaging options to serve up your hip bites quickly and in style.

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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!

Posted on
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.