Custom Paper Soup Cups With Lids

Matching Lids and Spoons

A good lid makes or breaks a soup cup. Vented paper lids allow steam out so condensation does not drip back into the soup or make the lid soggy. Clear plastic dome lids let customers see what they are getting, which is useful in a grab-and-go chiller cabinet for chilled soups and salads. Flat lids stack neatly in bags when several orders go out together.

Some cafés like a lid with a small notch or slot for a wooden spoon, so the spoon travels with the cup. Others prefer a separate spoon in the bag. Tell us how you serve and we will match the lid to the cup's rim diameter so it seals properly.

For delivery orders, a lid that clicks firmly onto the rim matters more than anything else. Drivers stack bags, take corners quickly and occasionally drop a bag on a doorstep. A test run with water before you switch suppliers is a cheap way to make sure your chosen lid really stays put. Lid types for larger meal portions are shown on the soup containers with vented lids page.

Choosing Sizes for Paper Soup Cups

Soup cups are measured by capacity in ounces, with 8, 12, 16 and 26 oz being the common sizes. An 8 oz cup is a starter or side portion; 12 oz is a standard lunch serving; 16 oz is a large portion or a meal on its own; and 26 oz suits sharing, noodle soups or a filling stew. Most cafés run two sizes, regular and large, and keep the same lid diameter for both to simplify stock.

Remember to leave space at the top. A cup filled to the brim will spill as the lid goes on. As a rough guide, fill to about a centimetre below the rim, and choose a capacity that allows that headroom for your portion size.

Noodle soups and broths with lots of toppings need a wider cup than a smooth blended soup, because noodles and greens have to fit around the spoon. If you sell both, a wide 16 oz bowl-style cup for noodle dishes and a standard 12 oz cup for blended soups is a combination that works well for many kitchens. Our guide to measuring products for packaging covers portion volume against cup size.

Printing That Survives Heat and Handling

The printed area wraps all the way around the cup, so think of the design as a band rather than a single front. A logo printed twice, on opposite sides, means it faces the customer whichever way the cup is turned. A soup-of-the-day box or a tick list of flavours printed on the side lets staff mark the contents with a pen, which saves time at a busy counter.

Inks are printed on the outside of the cup and do not touch the food. Bold one or two colour designs look clean and keep the price down; full-colour designs work well for brands with photography or detailed patterns. A matte finish on double-wall cups gives a premium feel that suits delis and food halls. Inks and coatings that cope with heat are compared in the print and finish options guide.

• Logo repeated around the full wrap
• Flavour tick boxes for quick marking
• Allergen or reheating notes on the side
• Matching print on lids for a full set

Who Orders Printed Soup Cups

Soup bars and cafés are the obvious buyers, but printed soup cups turn up in plenty of other places. Office canteens use them for daily specials and porridge in the morning. Street food traders serve ramen, dal and chilli from them at markets. Delis sell chilled soups from a fridge, and caterers send hot soup to meetings and events in them. Hospitals, schools and universities use them for grab-and-go meals that need to be eaten at a desk.

For any of these, a printed cup does more than a plain one. It tells the customer where their lunch came from, it looks better in a social media photo and it carries your name back into the office where colleagues ask where the soup was bought. Delis that sell chilled desserts in the same cup size use the ice cream tubs with matching lids.

Test the Lid With Water Before You Switch Cups

A soup cup is judged by its lid, and lids from one supplier rarely fit cups from another. Before you order, fill a sample cup with hot water, press the lid on and carry it in a paper bag around the block, then tip the bag on its side for a few seconds. A lid that stays put through that will stay put on a desk. Then decide the wall type by how long the cup is held, and the sizes by your two most common portions.

Send the cup sizes, the wall type, the lid style and your artwork or logo, and a custom quote arrives by email within one working day, with printed soup cups from £0.25 per cup and minimums low and quoted per job. The free proof shows the artwork flattened as it will wrap around the cup. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval and free tracked delivery to the UK mainland takes 2 to 3 working days; misprints or damaged cartons reported within 10 days are reprinted or refunded. Wider portions eaten with a spoon at a table suit the paper soup bowls for eat-in service.