Catering Supplies: Napkins, Cutlery and Trays by Service Style

Catering supplies are easiest to buy by service style. Napkins are the item every job needs: a 1-ply lunch quarter fold suits takeaway and grab-and-go, a quilted lunch GT fold suits buffets and grazing tables, and a 2-ply quilted dinner 1/8 fold suits seated service. Around them sit cutlery, catering trays, lids and platters.

Key takeaways

• The most economical options are the 1-ply lunch quarter folds at $0.01 each, in cartons of 3000.
• The quilted lunch GT folds sit in the middle at $0.03 each, in cartons of 2000.
• The 2-ply quilted dinner 1/8 fold is the largest napkin in the range at 400x400mm, at $0.05 each in cartons of 1000.
• For platters, the brown corrugated catering tray (560x255x80mm) (see the product page for the current price).

What is the difference between the catering napkins?

The napkins differ in three things: fold, ply and size. Lunch napkins are 300x300mm (1-ply quarter fold or quilted GT fold); the dinner napkin is 400x400mm, 2-ply quilted, 1/8 GT fold.

Which napkin suits takeaway catering?

For takeaway, drop-off platters and boxed lunches, the 1-ply lunch quarter fold is the practical pick. At $0.008 each in a carton of 3000, the Napkins – White 1ply Lunch Qtr Fold (Carton of 3000) and the Kraft Napkins – 1ply Lunch Qtr Fold (Carton of 3000) let you put a few napkins in every bag or box.

Both share the same carton price, so the only decision is colour. Kraft suits a brown-box, natural-materials look, while white matches white plates and printed packaging.

Which napkin works best for buffets and grazing tables?

For buffets, office catering and grazing tables, the quilted lunch GT fold is a sensible middle step. Guests take their own, so the 300x300mm size is enough.

The Napkins – White Quilted Lunch GT Fold (Carton of 2000) is $51.68 per carton, or $0.03 each. The Kraft Napkins – Quilted Lunch GT Fold (Carton of 2000) is $50.77 per carton, also $0.03 each.

For more on setting up a buffet spread, see our guide to serving food trays.

When should caterers use dinner napkins?

Use the dinner napkin for seated service: weddings, plated functions, long-table dinners and any event where each guest has a set place. The Napkins – White 2 ply Quilted Dinner 1/8 GT Fold (Carton of 1000) is $31.50 per carton of 1000, or $0.03 each. The 1/8 fold gives a tidy rectangle to lay on a side plate or under cutlery, which is what most seated settings call for.

When does a cutlery pouch with napkin save packing time?

A cutlery pouch with napkin makes sense when every meal goes out with cutlery, such as boxed lunches, events and food truck orders. Packing each order is quicker and neater. Check the product page for exactly what each pouch contains.

Packery has two versions: the Kraft Cutlery – White Pouch With Napkin (Carton of 1000) and the Kraft Cutlery – Pouch With Napkin (Carton of 1000). The white pouch is $0.13 each and the kraft pouch is $0.06 each. The first is listed with a white napkin; check the product page for the napkin in the second.

If you serve soups, desserts or cup-based dishes, the Wooden Cutlery – Spoon Napkin Set (Carton of 400) pairs a wooden spoon with a napkin. It (see the product page for the current price).

What other catering supplies do you need?

Beyond napkins, most jobs need cutlery and something to serve the food on:

For drop-off platters, the 80mm Corrugated Plate – Brown Rectangle Catering Tray Large High Sides (Carton of 50) gives a long tray with 80mm sides to hold sandwiches, wraps or sushi. The Plate – Brown Catering Tray Sleeve Medium-Large (Carton of 50) and the lids, PET Plate – Black Rectangle Catering Tray Lid Large w Window (Carton of 100) and Plate – Clear RPET Catering Tray Lid Small (Carton of 50), cover the top for transport; check sizes on each product page to match a lid or sleeve to your tray. For a square serving platter on a buffet table, the 16in Sugarcane Plate – Unbleached Platter (Carton of 100) is 400x400x50mm.

For loose cutlery, the Bamboo Cutlery – Fork (Carton of 2000) is $0.06 each, the 5in Cutlery – CPLA Tea Spoon (Carton of 2000) is $0.04 each, and the Sugarcane Cutlery – Soup Spoon (Carton of 1000) is $0.05 each. The tray, sleeve and napkin products can be custom printed with your logo; the lids, platter and loose cutlery above cannot. Browse the full plates and trays and cutlery ranges for other sizes.

Which one should I buy?

Match the supplies to how food reaches the guest:

• Takeaway shops, food trucks and drop-off catering: Napkins – White 1ply Lunch Qtr Fold (Carton of 3000) or the kraft version, Kraft Napkins – 1ply Lunch Qtr Fold (Carton of 3000), at $0.008 each.
• Buffets, grazing tables and corporate lunches: Napkins – White Quilted Lunch GT Fold (Carton of 2000) for a clean look, or Kraft Napkins – Quilted Lunch GT Fold (Carton of 2000) for a natural look.
• Weddings, plated dinners and seated functions: Napkins – White 2 ply Quilted Dinner 1/8 GT Fold (Carton of 1000).
• Boxed meals and event packs with cutlery: Kraft Cutlery – White Pouch With Napkin (Carton of 1000) or Kraft Cutlery – Pouch With Napkin (Carton of 1000).
• Soup, dessert and cup-based menus: Wooden Cutlery – Spoon Napkin Set (Carton of 400).
• Drop-off platters: 80mm Corrugated Plate – Brown Rectangle Catering Tray Large High Sides (Carton of 50) with a matching lid or sleeve.

Custom printing with your logo is available on all five napkins above; see custom printing. For the wider packing list beyond napkins, read commercial food packaging for kitchens and caterers.

How do I order catering supplies?

Everything is sold by the carton, and each product page shows the carton price and price per item. 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 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). If you already know what you need, use quick order to add several cartons at once.

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