Food Serving Tray Sizes: Catering Trays and Platters

The right food serving tray size depends on what you are serving: corrugated catering trays (Medium, Medium Plus and Large, all with 80mm high sides) suit packed platters of sandwiches, wraps and finger food, while flat sugarcane platters (10in, 12in and 16in) and the 5-compartment sugarcane platter suit plated, grazing or portioned serves. Match the tray to the food's height and how it will be shared, then step up in size as the guest list grows.

Key takeaways

• Corrugated catering trays come in three lengths: Medium (360x255x80mm), Medium Plus (430x290x80mm) and Large (560x255x80mm).
• Sugarcane platters are square and shallow: 10in (260x260x50mm), 12in (310x310x50mm) and 16in (400x400x50mm).
• The 5-compartment sugarcane platter (216x267mm) is for individual portioned meals, not shared platters.
• Lids are sold separately: black cardboard with a PET window in Small, Medium, Medium Plus and Large, or clear RPET in Small, Medium and Large.
• Every product is sold by the carton, with the carton price and price per item shown on each product page.

What sizes do food serving trays come in?

Packery's food serving trays fall into two groups: rectangular corrugated catering trays with 80mm high sides, and square sugarcane platters with 50mm sides. The rectangular trays are built for packing food in rows and carrying it to a venue; the square platters are built for laying food out flat on a table or pass.

The 80mm sides on the corrugated trays give room for stacked sandwiches, sushi, wraps or pastries. The shallower 50mm sides on the sugarcane platters suit cheese, fruit, antipasto, sliders and anything you want guests to see from above.

Which corrugated catering tray size do I need?

Pick the corrugated tray by how much food goes out in one drop and how many people will reach into it. Medium is the everyday option for smaller meetings, Medium Plus adds width as well as length, and Large is the long tray for bigger functions.

• Medium: the 80mm Corrugated Plate – Black Rectangle Catering Tray Medium High Sides (Carton of 100) measures 360x255x80mm. It is the size to reach for when a café or caterer sends out regular office lunch orders.
• Medium Plus: the Corrugated Plate – Black Rectangle Catering Tray Medium Plus (Carton of 50) measures 430x290x80mm. The extra width helps when you want two or three rows of food side by side.
• Large: the 80mm Corrugated Plate – Black Rectangle Catering Tray Large High Sides (Carton of 50) measures 560x255x80mm. The 80mm Corrugated Plate – Brown Rectangle Catering Tray Large High Sides (Carton of 50) is the same size in brown, if you prefer a kraft look to black.

All four corrugated trays can be custom printed with your logo, and so can the Plate – Brown Catering Tray Sleeve Medium-Large (Carton of 50), a 255x80x110mm cardboard sleeve. See custom printing for details.

Which sugarcane platter size suits my food?

Choose the sugarcane platter by how flat the food sits and how much table space you have. All three are unbleached sugarcane in a natural colour, with 50mm sides.

• The 10in Sugarcane Plate – Unbleached Platter (Carton of 100) (260x260x50mm) suits a single grazing board, a dessert selection or a side of fruit next to a larger order.
• The 12in Sugarcane Plate – Unbleached Platter (Carton of 100) (310x310x50mm) is the middle size for cheese and crackers, sliders or a mixed savoury plate.
• The 16in Sugarcane Plate – Unbleached Platter (Carton of 100) (400x400x50mm) is the centrepiece size for a buffet table or a shared main.

The natural, unbleached finish suits venues that want a plain, plant-fibre look on the table rather than black or white trays.

When should I use a compartment platter instead of a tray?

Use a compartment platter when each guest gets their own portioned meal rather than serving themselves from a shared tray. The Sugarcane Plate – Platter 5 Compartments (Carton of 500) measures 216x267mm, is white, and keeps a main, sides and sauce apart.

It suits school and community events, staff meals, food trucks plating set meals, and buffets where you hand out plated serves. For shared finger food, a corrugated tray or flat platter is the better fit.

How do I compare tray prices?

Compare trays on price per item, because carton quantities differ between products. The table below uses the carton price and per-item price for each tray and platter;.

Lids are priced separately. The black cardboard lids with a PET window come in cartons of 100: Small (280x180x30mm) at $0.51 each, Medium (382x275x30mm) at $0.72 each, PET Plate – Black Catering Tray Lid Medium Plus w Window (Carton of 100) (453x313x30mm) at $0.88 each, and Large (583x275x30mm) (see the product page for the current price). Clear RPET lids come in cartons of 50: Small at $0.46 each, Medium at $0.73 each and Large (see the product page for the current price). Check the lid dimensions against the tray on each product page before ordering.

Which one should I buy?

Buy for the job you do most often, then add one other size for the bigger orders.

• Cafés doing office catering: start with the Medium high-sides tray and the Medium Plus tray, plus lids for transport (check the lid dimensions against the tray first).
• Caterers running larger functions: the Large high-sides tray in black or brown, plus custom printing if trays go out under your name.
• Grazing and cheese-board businesses: the 12in and 16in sugarcane platters; add the 10in for desserts or small add-ons.
• Food trucks, events and set-meal service: the 5-compartment sugarcane platter.

For more on presentation and serving styles, read our guide to serving food trays, and see bulk disposable plates for plates to go alongside your platters.

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