Catering Tray with Lid
The lidded catering tray is the format that most drop-off caterers standardise on, because it is the only one that solves the whole journey.
View tray & get pricing →Catering Trays
Corrugated Catering Trays
- Holds foil pans
- Header board option
- Built for weight
This is the working catering tray: fluted, deep, strong enough to hold several full foil pans, and usually built with a raised header board that turns the whole thing into a point-of-sale display when it lands on a buffet table.
It is the format used for hot buffet drop-offs, event catering and the kind of large-format takeaway that a family orders on a Friday night. The requirement it is built around is simple and demanding: several kilos of hot food, carried by one person, and still presentable when it arrives.
- Sized around standard foil pan footprints, or your own
- Optional raised header board for branding at eye level
- B-flute construction for genuine load capacity
- Reinforced hand holes as standard on larger sizes
Pricing starts from $0.30 per tray
The unit price depends on the size, board, printing, finishing, quantity and delivery country, so every quote is worked out for your specification rather than taken from a list.
Get pricing for corrugated catering trays
Send the size and the run length. We reply with pricing, material options and a production date — usually within one working day.
01 — Specification
Specification at a glance
Every element below is set when we quote. Nothing here is a fixed catalogue entry — if a line does not match what you need, say so and we will change it.
- Flute
- B-flute standard; BC for the largest formats
- Pan compatibility
- Cut to hold half, third and quarter-size foil pans
- Header board
- Optional raised back panel for branding
- Hand holes
- Reinforced, on both short sides
- Depth
- Set by the pan or portion depth plus clearance
- 1–4 colours; header board is the prime surface
02 — Build the spec
Design this tray in five steps
The same five questions we would ask on a phone call, with the corrugated catering tray already selected. You get a properly detailed brief at the end, which is what makes a first quote accurate rather than approximate.
Prefer the full builder with a live sketch? Open the tray designer.
03 — In detail
Designed around the pan, not the food
Most catering trays in this format are not holding food directly — they are holding foil pans, and the food is in the pans. That changes the sizing exercise completely. The internal dimensions have to fit a whole number of pans across, with just enough clearance that a hot pan can be dropped in without fiddling, and not so much that the pans slide.
Tell us which pans you use — half-size, third, quarter, or the specific product code — and we cut the tray to fit them. If you also want a direct-fill version for food that goes straight into the tray, that is a different liner specification and worth quoting separately.
The header board, and why it is worth the money
The raised back panel is the single most effective piece of branding in catering packaging, and it costs very little.
- It sits at eye level on a buffet table, facing a room of people who are all queueing in the same direction.
- It is flat, uninterrupted board — the best print surface on the whole tray.
- It identifies whose catering it is at a glance, which matters at an event with several suppliers.
- It can carry a menu, an allergen note or a QR code for reordering without cluttering the tray itself.
- It costs a fraction of what a printed banner or an A-frame sign would.
From enquiry to delivered trays
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Send the pans and the portion count
Which foil pans, how many per tray, and the heaviest realistic loaded weight.
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We size the tray and confirm the board
Internal dimensions around the pans, flute grade against the load, hand hole positions.
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Decide on the header
Height and shape. A tall header is more visible; a shorter one packs and stacks better.
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Artwork on the dieline
We mark where the header fold and the hand holes fall so nothing important gets creased or cut.
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Proof, produce, deliver
Digital proof as standard. For a first branded run with a header, a physical proof is worth the few extra days.
What "strong enough" actually means here
Three half-size foil pans full of hot food is around four to six kilos. That load is carried by two hand holes cut into the short walls, which means the entire weight is concentrated at four small points. This is why board grade and hole reinforcement matter far more on this format than on any other tray we make.
It is also why we ask for the loaded weight rather than the tray dimensions. A tray sized correctly but specified in the wrong flute will tear at the hand holes on its first delivery, and that failure happens in front of a customer.
04 — Nearby
Trays that work alongside this one
Chosen because operators who buy the corrugated catering tray usually need one of these in the same order, not because they happen to sit in the same category.
Custom Printed Catering Tray
Catering is the one part of food service where packaging routinely converts new business.
View tray & get pricing →
Rigid Catering Platter
Rigid platters are what you use when the packaging is part of the price.
View tray & get pricing →
Corrugated Party Tray with Lid
A party tray is a divided platter under a clear lid.
View tray & get pricing →05 — Questions
Corrugated Catering Tray questions
Will this tray hold standard foil pans?
It will if we size it to yours. Tell us the pan size — half, third, quarter, or a product code — and how many per tray, and we cut internal dimensions around them with the right clearance.
How much weight can a catering tray carry?
That is a specification rather than a fixed figure. Three full half-size pans is roughly four to six kilos, and the load goes through the hand holes. Tell us the worst-case weight and we will specify the flute and the hole reinforcement for it.
What is a header board for?
It is a raised back panel that stands above the food on a buffet table. It carries your branding at eye level, and it is the most valuable print surface on the tray. It also lets you show a menu or an allergen note without printing on the tray walls.
Can the tray hold hot food directly?
With a moisture-resistant liner, for a service period. Most operators use foil pans inside the tray for genuinely hot food because the pan handles the heat and the tray handles the carrying. Tell us which you are doing and we will specify accordingly.
Do these come with lids?
A fitted lid is available and is worth having if trays are stacked or driven any distance. Bear in mind a lid and a tall header board do not combine — decide which one your service needs.
How many trays fit in a van?
Depends on your van and whether they are stacked. Tell us the shelf dimensions and the stack height and we will size the tray so you get a whole number per shelf rather than a wasted strip.
Can these be used for cold buffet food?
Yes, and they are simpler to specify for cold service because there is no steam to manage. A cold tray can use a lighter liner and often a slightly lighter board.
Do you supply plain trays as well as printed?
Yes. A lot of caterers run plain trays for everyday drop-offs and printed trays with a header for larger events. We can quote both together.
Can you match a tray from another supplier?
Send one and we will match the footprint, depth and pan fit exactly, so your pans, racks and van shelving all stay unchanged.
Before you order, read
- Catering Tray Buying Guide — Specifying catering packaging that survives the whole delivery journey.
- Kraft vs Corrugated Food Trays — Solid board or fluted board — a direct comparison for buyers.
Who buys this tray
Ready to price the corrugated catering tray?
Send the dimensions, the quantity and the country you want it delivered to. We come back with a full quote — material, print, finishing, freight and a production date.