Short answer: for most takeaways, a 500ml (16oz) bowl suits a side or small salad, a 750ml (24oz) bowl suits a main salad or poke bowl, and a 1000ml (32oz) bowl suits a generous main or burrito bowl. Element Packaging stocks kraft and bagasse bowls from 350ml to 1500ml, with matching lids, delivered next day from our Birmingham warehouse.
Buying the wrong size costs you twice. Too small and toppings spill, lids will not close and portions look mean. Too big and the food slides around in the bag and you pay for card you do not need. This guide matches each bowl size to the dishes UK cafes and takeaways serve in it, then covers lids, case quantities and ordering.
| Size | Bowls we stock | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 350ml (12oz) | Round bagasse | Side, dessert, small portion of rice |
| 480ml to 500ml (16oz) | Round kraft, rectangular kraft, round bagasse | Side salad, child's portion, starter |
| 650ml (22oz) | Rectangular kraft, oval bagasse | Light lunch, salad box |
| 750ml (24oz) | Round kraft, rectangular kraft, round bagasse, bagasse tray | Main salad, poke bowl, noodles |
| 900ml (30oz) | Oval bagasse, 2-compartment bagasse tray | Main with a side kept apart |
| 1000ml (32oz) | Round kraft, rectangular kraft, round and square bagasse | Burrito bowl, loaded salad, curry and rice |
| 1300ml (44oz) | Large round kraft | Large salad, sharing bowl |
| 1500ml (48oz) | Round and square bagasse | Sharing, family portions |
Capacities are to the brim. Food sits below the rim so the lid closes, so plan on filling about 80% of the stated volume.
Start with your best-selling dish, not your biggest. Most menus run on two or three bowl sizes, and fewer sizes keep ordering and storage simple.
Unsure between two sizes? Order a case of each and plate up your real portions over a busy weekend. Cases of different sizes count together towards multi-case pricing.
Kraft bowls are brown paper with a PE lining, so they hold hot, cold and oily food. Their clear lids show the food, which suits salads and grab-and-go fridges. See kraft salad bowls.
Bagasse bowls are moulded from sugarcane fibre, the fibre left after the cane is pressed for its juice. They are rigid and suit hot, wet and greasy food such as curries and noodles. See bagasse bowls.
Round bowls suit salads, poke and noodles, and are easy to eat from with a fork. Rectangular bowls stack neatly in a delivery bag and suit rice dishes and lunch boxes. See rectangular kraft containers. Oval bagasse bowls give a long, shallow shape that shows off a salad.
| Bowl | Lid |
|---|---|
| Round kraft 500ml, 750ml and 1000ml | One clear PET lid fits all three (148mm) |
| Large round kraft 1300ml | Clear PP lid |
| Rectangular kraft 500ml, 650ml, 750ml and 1000ml | One clear PET lid fits all four |
| Round bagasse 1000ml and 1500ml | A matching bagasse lid for each size |
| Square bagasse 1000ml and 1500ml | Clear PET lid |
| Oval bagasse 650ml and 900ml | One bagasse lid fits both |
| Bagasse trays 750ml, 900ml and 1000ml | One clear PET lid fits all three |
Lids are sold separately, except the 750ml kraft bowl listed with a lid included. The 350ml and 480ml bagasse bowls have no lid in our range. All lids are in bowl and container lids.
For soup, stews and anything runny, use a soup container rather than a bowl. They are taller and narrower, with a lid that presses in. Kraft soup containers run from 8oz (240ml) to 32oz (1000ml).
Several bowls are also sold as inner packs of 50, so you can try a size before you commit to a full case.
Yes. Our printed 1300ml salad bowl is white card with your design in full colour, from 1,080 bowls. You design it online, approve a proof, and bowls arrive 3 to 4 weeks from proof approval.
Browse every size in one place in our salad bowls collection.
500ml (16oz) for a side salad, 750ml (24oz) for a main salad and 1000ml (32oz) for a loaded salad with toppings.
Most poke bowls go in a 750ml (24oz) or 1000ml (32oz) bowl, depending on how many toppings you add.
About 480ml to 500ml. Our 16oz kraft bowls hold 500ml and our 16oz bagasse bowl holds 480ml.
No. Round kraft bowls of 500ml, 750ml and 1000ml share one lid, and the other bowl ranges have their own. Each bowl's matching lid is shown on its product page.
Yes. PE-lined kraft bowls and bagasse bowls both hold hot food. For soup, use a soup container with a lid that presses in.
Yes. Several bowls come in inner packs of 50, listed as separate products.
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