Restaurant Takeaway Containers by Dish: Melbourne Guide

Restaurant takeaway containers work best when you match them to the dish: sugarcane tubs for curries and rice, coated paper lunch boxes for noodles and stir-fry, windowed boxes for salads and bowls, and clear RPET deli cups for desserts. Below is a dish-by-dish guide for Melbourne restaurants, with carton quantities and prices from our range.

Key takeaways

• Wet, saucy dishes such as curries and dal suit the 23oz Takeaway Container – 700ml (Carton of 400) and 30oz Takeaway Container – 900ml (Carton of 400), both made from sugarcane.
• Noodles, fried rice and stir-fry fit rectangular paper boxes such as the PLA Takeaway Container – Coated Lunch Box Medium (Carton of 200) or the PLA Takeaway Container – White Coated Rectangular 1000ml (Carton of 300).
• Salads and grain bowls look better through a window: the PLA Takeaway Container – Lunch Box with Window Medium (Carton of 200) is cardboard + PLA in brown + clear.
• Desserts and sides go in the clear 8oz Takeaway Container – RPET Deli (Carton of 500); sauces and condiments go in the 2oz Sugarcane Serving Container – Cup Unbleached (Carton of 2000).
• There is no minimum order, and every product page shows the carton price and price per item.

What container suits noodles and stir-fry?

For noodles, fried rice and stir-fry, a rectangular paper box is the practical choice. The PLA Takeaway Container – Coated Lunch Box Medium (Carton of 200) measures 152x120x64mm, is paper + PLA coated in brown, and costs $83.55 per carton, or $0.42 each.

For larger serves or shared mains, step up to the PLA Takeaway Container – Coated Lunch Box Large (Carton of 200) at 197x140x64mm, or the PLA Takeaway Container – Coated Lunch Box Extra Large (Carton of 200) at 197x140x90mm. All three lunch boxes can be custom printed with your logo.

If you prefer a white finish, the PLA Takeaway Container – White Coated Rectangular 1000ml (Carton of 300) is paper + PLA coated, 172x120x75mm, and costs $94.18 per carton, or $0.31 each. Its shallower sibling, the PLA Takeaway Container – White Coated Rectangular 750ml (Carton of 300), is 172x120x57mm and suits smaller noodle serves or side dishes.

What should I use for curries and rice?

Curries, dal, soups with rice and other saucy dishes are easiest to pack in deep tubs measured by volume. The 23oz Takeaway Container – 700ml (Carton of 400) is sugarcane, white, and costs $74.51 per carton, or $0.19 each.

For a larger main or a family-size curry, the 30oz Takeaway Container – 900ml (Carton of 400) is also white sugarcane, at $88.65 per carton, or $0.22 each. You can run both sizes: the smaller one for rice and the larger one for the curry itself.

Pair the tubs with the 2oz Sugarcane Serving Container – Cup Unbleached (Carton of 2000) for raita, chutney or sambal: it is natural-coloured sugarcane at $78.62 per carton, or $0.04 each.

What works for burgers, hot dogs and sandwiches?

For burgers, start with our dedicated range on the burger boxes page. From the takeaway container range, the Kraft Takeaway Container – Hot Dog Box Board (Carton of 400) is a brown cardboard box measuring 208x70x75mm, at $57.75 per carton, or $0.14 each, and it can be custom printed.

For toasted sandwiches, wraps cut in half or club sandwiches, the Takeaway Container – Sandwich Wedge (Carton of 500) is cardboard + PLA in brown + clear, 122x72x122mm, at $95.23 per carton. If you heat-seal your wedges for grab-and-go, the PLA Takeaway Container – Heat Seal Sandwich Wedge with Coating and Window (Carton of 600) is 123x123x72mm at $207.05 per carton, or $0.35 each.

Which containers suit salads and poke or grain bowls?

Salads and bowls sell on how they look, so a window lid helps. The PLA Takeaway Container – Lunch Box with Window Medium (Carton of 200) is cardboard + PLA in brown + clear, measures 152x120x64mm, and costs $82.98 per carton, or $0.41 each.

The same style comes in small (110x90x64mm) and large (197x140x64mm) sizes: the PLA Takeaway Container – Lunch Box with Window Small (Carton of 200) and PLA Takeaway Container – Lunch Box with Window Large (Carton of 200). Keep dressings separate in the 2oz sugarcane cup so leaves stay crisp until the customer is ready to eat.

How do I keep takeaway food hot?

No disposable container keeps food hot for long on its own, so packing matters more than the box. Pack hot dishes last, just before the driver or customer arrives. Choose a size the serve nearly fills, because a half-empty container loses heat faster: the 700ml tub for a single curry, the 900ml tub for a larger one. Keep hot and cold items in separate bags so desserts and salads do not warm up and mains do not cool down.

What should I use for desserts and sides?

Clear containers show off layered desserts, so the 8oz Takeaway Container – RPET Deli (Carton of 500) is the natural pick for tiramisu, panna cotta, fruit cups and rice pudding. It is clear RPET (see the product page for the current price).

The same 8oz deli cup also works for coleslaw, pickles and other cold sides.

How do these restaurant takeaway containers compare?

Which one should I buy?

• Curry house or Indian, Thai or Sri Lankan kitchen: the 30oz Takeaway Container – 900ml (Carton of 400) for mains, the 23oz Takeaway Container – 700ml (Carton of 400) for rice, and the 2oz Sugarcane Serving Container – Cup Unbleached (Carton of 2000) for condiments.
• Noodle bar or Chinese, Vietnamese or Malaysian takeaway: the PLA Takeaway Container – Coated Lunch Box Medium (Carton of 200) for standard serves, or the PLA Takeaway Container – White Coated Rectangular 1000ml (Carton of 300) if you want a white box.
• Salad bar, poke or grain-bowl café: the PLA Takeaway Container – Lunch Box with Window Medium (Carton of 200).
• Burger joint, hot dog stand or food truck: the Kraft Takeaway Container – Hot Dog Box Board (Carton of 400), plus the range on the burger boxes page.
• Dessert bar or Italian restaurant with take-home sweets: the 8oz Takeaway Container – RPET Deli (Carton of 500).

If you want your logo on the box, custom printing is available on selected products, including the lunch boxes, the hot dog box and the 8oz deli cup; see custom print. For buying several cartons at once, read our guide to takeaway containers in bulk, and for sauces and sides see small takeaway containers.

Ordering for your Melbourne restaurant

Everything is sold by the carton, and there is no minimum order. Delivery is a flat fee set by your postcode, and free once an order passes a set amount; checkout shows the exact cost, and today's rates are on the shipping page. Delivery takes 3–5 business days to capital cities, including Melbourne, and 4–6 business days regional. All orders are prepaid online. Damaged or faulty items are replaced or refunded free; unopened stock cartons can be returned within 7 days of delivery (10% restocking fee, return delivery at your cost). Browse the full takeaway containers range, or reorder your regulars on the quick order page.

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No minimum order · free delivery over $750 (metro) / $1000 (regional) · damaged items replaced free · Delivery details