Custom Foot Lock Trays

Board Options and Strength

Light folding boxboard is enough for small bakery trays and deli selections that are carried by hand for a short distance. It folds crisply, prints sharply and keeps costs low. For produce, plants and anything heavier, E-flute corrugated gives much more stiffness without becoming bulky. B-flute suits larger trays carrying several kilograms.

For food placed directly in the tray, food-contact grade board is available on request. A grease-resistant coating helps with pastries, sausage rolls and anything with butter or oil, while a moisture-resistant coating suits produce kept in chillers or on damp market stalls.

Kraft board is popular for produce and farm shops because it looks natural and hides soil marks. White board gives brighter print for bakeries and branded displays.

If you are unsure how strong the tray needs to be, fill a sample with your heaviest typical load and lift it by one end. A tray that bows in the middle needs a heavier board or a shorter span.

Sizing and Wall Height

Start with what goes in. For punnets, lay them out in the grid you want, measure the total footprint and add a few millimetres so they drop in easily. For loose produce or baked goods, decide how many items or what weight the tray should hold and size from there.

Wall height depends on how the tray is used. Low walls around 30 mm show off contents on a counter. Walls of 50–70 mm hold produce more securely during carrying and stacking. If trays will be stacked when full, make sure the walls are higher than the contents so the tray above rests on the walls, not the food.

Remember to tell us the space the tray has to fit into, such as a crate, a chiller shelf or a delivery van rack, so the outside dimensions work as well as the inside. Our guide to measuring a product for packaging explains how to take inside sizes.

Printing on a Foot Lock Tray

The outer walls are where most branding goes, since that is what customers see on a counter or stall. A logo on each long side, with a product name or farm name on the short ends, works well. The inside base can be printed too, which is a nice touch on bakery trays where the base shows once the food is taken.

Keep artwork clear of the foot tabs and slots, as those areas are cut and folded. On kraft board, one or two strong colours look best. On white board, full colour photographs and patterns are possible.

For growers who sell to several shops, a tray printed with the farm name and a blank panel for a variety sticker is a practical compromise. The same tray works for strawberries one week and raspberries the next, and the shop can see at a glance where the produce came from.

Bakeries sometimes print a short reheating tip or a line about their baking method on the inside walls. It is a small piece of storytelling that customers read while they eat, and it costs nothing extra once the inside is being printed anyway. Our print and finish options guide covers inks and coatings in more detail.

Tips for Farm Shops and Bakeries

Store flat trays in a dry place and erect them shortly before use, particularly if you choose an uncoated board. Erected trays nest loosely, but flat ones take far less space. If staff fold trays during busy periods, keep a small stack ready at each station.

For takeaway, pair the tray with a clear lid, a printed sleeve or a paper bag sized to fit it. That turns an open tray into a closed pack without changing your main stock.

If you fill trays on a sloping stall or a counter with a lip, test that the feet sit flat before filling a whole batch. The locked corners give a slight lift, which is ideal for airflow but can make a tray rock on a very uneven surface. A thin board mat underneath solves it.

For produce going to a wholesale customer, agree the tray size with them first. Many shops have chiller shelves and display crates of a set size, and a tray that fits them exactly will be welcomed back next time. Bakeries that sell whole cakes often order printed bakery cake boxes alongside their trays.

How to Order

Tell us what goes in the tray, the size you need, wall height, board choice and quantity. A custom quote arrives by email within one working day, and minimums are agreed per job, which suits growers ordering for a single crop or a bakery trying a new line. Smaller printed trays start from £0.25 each depending on size and board.

We prepare a free design proof showing the flat blank and printed areas. Production takes 4–7 working days after approval, and trays arrive flat by free tracked UK mainland delivery in 2–3 working days. Trays that arrive misprinted or bent in transit are reprinted or refunded when reported within 10 days. To begin, send your tray size and artwork and we will prepare a free proof.