What Packaging Do I Need for a Coffee Shop? (Complete Checklist)

Most coffee shops don't run out of espresso. They run out of 12oz lids at 8:30am on a Tuesday, or realise mid-morning that the cup carriers are in the stock room and nobody restocked the counter. 

This checklist covers everything a UK coffee shop needs to stock, from hot cups and cold cups through to food packaging, bags and straws. Use it to build your first order, audit what you're running, or check you haven't missed a category before switching suppliers.

Hot cups: which sizes do you actually need?

Most UK independent coffee shops run on two or three sizes. 8oz for flat whites and cortados, 12oz for standard lattes, cappuccinos and hot chocolates, 16oz for large drinks and anything with extra shots. 4oz is only worth stocking if you genuinely sell espresso as a takeaway drink.

On wall type: single wall cups are the lowest cost option and work well when paired with a sleeve. Double wall cups have insulation built in so no sleeve is needed, and they feel more premium to hold. Ripple wall cups give a tactile grip that protects fingers from heat without a sleeve. None is the universally correct answer; it comes down to your price point and how the cup feels in a customer's hand when it's full.

Resist adding more sizes than your menu needs as each extra size means another lid to match, another shelf position and another line to reorder mid-service.

Lids: the detail that catches most operators out

Lids are sized by rim diameter in millimetres, not by oz volume. Two cups can both be 12oz and need completely different lids depending on the manufacturer. The most common UK sizes are 79mm, 80mm and 90mm, and a 79mm lid will not fit an 80mm cup. Always check the rim diameter before ordering lids separately from cups, and if you're switching suppliers, test the fit before committing to a case run.

The easiest fix is to buy cups and matching lids from the same product family at CupsDirect. Each product page shows compatible options directly. If you're weighing up paper vs plastic lid options on taste, heat retention and sustainability, our Paper vs Plastic Lids guide covers the trade-offs honestly.

Cold cups: a separate range for iced drinks

Paper hot cups are not suitable for iced drinks as the condensation weakens the structure and the opaque wall hides the drink, which matters when an iced latte costs more than a regular one and needs to look the part.

Clear rPET cold cups are the practical choice for most UK coffee shops: rigid, highly transparent and accepted in kerbside recycling across most of the UK when clean. A 16oz and 20oz pair covers most cold menus, you can also add a 12oz for smaller portions or children's drinks. Alternatively, use flat lids with a straw slot for iced coffees and dome lids for anything with cream or toppings.

Cup carriers: order more than you think you need

Carriers are consistently underordered until a customer drops two drinks crossing a busy street. A 2-cup carrier covers couples and quick office runs; a 4-cup carrier becomes essential the moment group orders start coming in. Check the carrier fits your cup base diameter, particularly if you're running both hot and cold cups from different ranges.

Food packaging: even if food is a small part of your menu

Very few coffee shops are drinks-only. For instance, a croissant needs a paper bag, not a box, a toastie or salad needs something that handles heat and moisture without collapsing en route and a traybake for a catering order needs a box with a lid. 

For most sandwiches, wraps and drier items, kraft deli boxes are the standard. For anything wet or saucy, bagasse clamshells are the better call as they handle steam and grease far better than paper alone. For pastries and slices that need to travel, bakery and cake boxes keep things upright and presentable. For a dish-by-dish breakdown of which format suits which food, see our Bagasse vs Kraft guide.

Bags, napkins and straws: the things that quietly run out

These don't feel urgent until they're gone. Make sure the following are on your standard reorder:

•   Carrier bags: SOS paper bags for customers combining drinks and food

•   Greaseproof bags: newsprint greaseproof bags for counter wrapping of pastries and hot items

•   Napkins: 1-ply for counter dispensers; 2-ply for table service or anything going in a bag

•   Paper straws: standard 6mm for cold drinks; 12mm boba straws if you sell bubble tea or thick smoothies

•   Wooden stirrers: upgrade to a sturdier spec if you sell thick functional lattes or protein drinks, as cheaper stirrers snap in heavier drinks

For more on how trending drinks like mushroom lattes and protein coffee are changing packaging requirements across UK cafes, see our 2026 Cafe Drink Trends guide.

Quick checklist before your next order

 

Keep it simple and keep it stocked

The coffee shops that manage packaging best run the smallest coherent range that covers their whole menu: lids from the same product family as their cups, food packaging matched to what they actually sell, and a standing reorder that means nothing runs out mid-service. If you're ordering at volume, moving to case or pallet ordering on your highest-usage lines reduces per-unit cost and means you're less likely to run short.