Custom Tea Boxes for Loose Leaf and Tea Bags

Keeping Aroma In and Light Out

Tea loses its character when it meets air, moisture and light. The carton blocks light completely once printed, but it cannot seal against air on its own, which is why loose tea needs an inner liner. We can supply boxes sized to take a standard stand-up pouch or a simple glassine bag, and we can add a tight-fitting lid so the box can be closed between brews.

Bagged tea in individual envelopes needs less protection from the box itself, but a snug fit still matters. Loose bags shift and scuff, and the strings tangle. A box sized to the exact stack keeps everything neat until the last cup. The inner pouch itself is covered on our flat pouches lined for loose leaf page.

• Size the box to the filled liner, not the weight on the label
• Choose a lid that closes firmly between brews
• Leave space at the top for a folded pouch seal
• Keep any window small so leaf is not left in strong light

Printing Blend Names, Origins and Brewing Guides

A tea box has more to say than most packaging. Drinkers want the blend name, the leaf type, where it was grown, tasting notes, water temperature and steeping time. That is a lot of text for a small box, so plan the panels: brand and blend on the front, the story on one side, brewing guidance on the other, ingredients and batch details on the back or base.

Many tea brands run a family of designs where the layout stays the same and one colour changes per blend. Greens for sencha, deep reds for rooibos, amber for breakfast tea. We can print several colourways in a single order, which keeps a growing range looking consistent on the shelf. Blends that change monthly are easier to run with blend labels for a changing menu on one carton.

Board and Finishes That Suit Tea

White folding boxboard shows botanical illustration and fine type beautifully. Kraft board gives a natural, hand-blended look that independent tea merchants like, and it suits a single dark ink or a white underprint. Food-contact grade board is available on request where tea bags sit directly against the carton.

Matte lamination with a foil-stamped blend name is a classic tea finish. Embossing a leaf motif or the brand mark adds texture without extra colour, and a small window can show off whole flowers or rolled leaves inside a clear inner bag.

Tea Boxes for Cafés, Hotels and Hampers

Not every tea box ends up on a shop shelf. Cafés selling their house blend at the till want a compact box that sits beside the card reader and makes an easy add-on purchase. A short tuck box with a hang tab works well on a counter display, and a bright front panel helps it get noticed while customers wait for their order.

Hotels and guesthouses use tea boxes differently again. A dispenser-front carton on the room tray holds a mix of bags and refills cleanly, and a box printed with the property's own name feels considered rather than generic. For breakfast buffets, a wider box with an open front lets guests pick a bag without lifting the whole carton.

Hamper makers and corporate gift buyers usually want something that looks generous but packs flat into a basket. A slim drawer box with a printed sleeve holding three or four blends does that well. Ask about printing a short message or the giver's logo on the inside of the sleeve, which is seen only when the drawer slides out and adds a personal touch without crowding the outside design. Hotels taking coffee as well as tea use our coffee boxes for hotel trays in the same style.

List Every Blend Before You Ask for a Price

Tea ranges change with every harvest, so the sensible order is a split run, where each blend gets its own artwork on the same carton and the quantities reflect how each one sells. Write the blends down with a rough quantity for each before you ask for a quote, and we price the run as one job. Then decide loose or bagged, because loose leaf needs a carton sized to a lined pouch and bagged tea needs a carton sized to a row of envelopes or pyramids. Measure the pouch filled or the row of bags, and tell us if the box should show the tea through a window. Artwork is a front design, a brewing guide and an ingredients panel, sent as vector files, and the free proof shows every panel at actual size. The quote comes by email within one working day, minimums are quoted per job and kept low, and simple cartons in bigger runs start from £0.25. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval with free tracked UK mainland delivery. Cocoa and chai sold beside the tea are boxed on our hot chocolate boxes for the same shelf page.