Custom Chip Cups

Board, Coatings and Grease

Chip cups are made from paperboard with a coating on the inside that helps it resist grease and moisture. Without it, oil and vinegar soak into the board, making the cup soft and the outside greasy; the board and card types guide explains the coated grades. A coated interior keeps the walls firm for as long as it takes to finish the chips.

The outside is usually white board, which gives the brightest print, though kraft-look board is available for a more rustic style. Single-wall cups are standard; double-wall cups add insulation, which helps if customers hold the cup for a long time, though for chips it is rarely necessary. Where your local authority or venue asks about materials, we can supply food-contact grade board on request.

Lids are useful for delivery and takeaway, keeping chips warm and preventing spills in bags. A vented lid lets steam escape, so the chips stay crisp rather than going soggy.

Printing Your Brand on the Cup

A chip cup is seen from every side, so a design that wraps all the way around works well. Many businesses use a bold logo on one side and a pattern, slogan or social media handle on the other. Full colour printing is available, though one or two colours often look stronger on a cup and keep costs down.

Bright, high-contrast designs get seen in crowded places like festivals and markets, where your cup is competing with every other vendor's packaging in the same field. A cup carried across a showground is a moving advert, and people waiting in other queues notice it and ask where it came from. Printing your stall name or pitch location on the cup makes that question easy to answer. Think about how the cup will look in a photograph, since people often share pictures of their food. A distinctive cup turns every photo into free advertising.

Keep important text away from the top rim and the bottom edge, where the cup curves and print can distort. We show the printable area on the proof so you can see exactly where the design will sit.

Chip Cups Beyond Chips

The same cups work for many other foods. Popcorn, churros, sweet potato fries, onion rings, chicken pieces, halloumi fries and loaded nachos all fit well in a cup, though a heavy nacho portion may be happier in a wider nacho box. Some dessert vendors use them for doughnut bites and waffle pieces. Using one cup design across your menu keeps ordering simple and your branding consistent. It also means fewer packaging lines to manage on a cramped trailer, where every shelf counts. If one dish needs a different look, a small sticker on a standard printed cup is a cheap way to mark it without ordering a separate design.

A cup with a side pocket or a sauce holder clipped to the rim is handy for dips. Ask about these options when you get a quote if your menu includes sauces.

Practical Tips for Busy Counters

Store cups near the fryer but away from steam and heat, so they stay crisp. Stacking cups by size within easy reach saves time during the rush, as does keeping printed snack bags for the takeaway orders beside them. If you use several sizes, printing a small size marker on the base or rim helps staff grab the right one quickly, especially when new or weekend staff are on shift.

Check that your cups fit your serving equipment. Some chip scoops and portion scoops are designed for particular cup sizes, and a cup that is slightly too narrow slows staff down. If you use cup holders on your counter or delivery trays, measure them before choosing a cup diameter.

Fill a Plain Cup With a Real Portion Before You Choose Sizes

Ounces tell you very little about chips. A 12 oz cup looks generous with thin-cut fries and half empty with chunky wedges, so take a plain cup of each size you are considering, fill it with the portion you actually serve and look at it the way a customer would. The cup that is full to the rim without overflowing is the one to print as your regular. Then check the top diameter against your lids and car cup holders if you serve drivers, and decide if the large size needs a sauce pocket.

Tell us which sizes you want, how many of each and send your logo or design idea, and a custom quote comes by email within one working day, minimums kept low per job so a street food trader is not overstocked. A free design proof shows the artwork wrapped around each size. Cups are produced in 4 to 7 working days after approval and delivered free with tracking to UK mainland addresses in 2 to 3 working days. Food-contact grade board is available on request. Traders who sell loaded fries often pair the cups with deeper fries cups with a lid in the same print.