Take-out menu hail or fail?

How to pack your menu to go

We are heading in to the winter months now, and cafe's and bars across the city are introducing mouth-watering, seasonal dishes to cater to Brisbane's cooler weather. I can't speak for everyone here, but when winter comes around,  I get my hermit crab on!,  and there is nothing more appealing than skipping table service, and indulging in my favourite winter comfort food, from a local restaurant or café in the comfort of my home! 

I love to snuggle in for the night,  with a warm belly-full of deliciousness,  and a movie.   To me, this ritual is a little slice of heaven.

It is true that we eat with our eyes!    Presentation is extremely important when it comes to food, almost as important as the taste and texture.  With that being said,  if you work in food service, you can hardly serve your dish on a beautiful oversized white plate, and wrap it with aluminium foil for your takeaway customers... right? So how do you keep your food looking good, staying hot and keep it pleasing to the eye as well as the palette for your takeaway customers?

You need the right packaging!

And the way you present your food must be as pleasing to the eye, as it is to the tastebuds!  We also need said packaging to be relatively sustainable, because after I have indulged and am feeling like a purring cat on a blanket, I don't want to be getting the guilts about murdering trees!

Inventory keep it simple

Now we want our packaging to be on point and it need not be an expensive exercise.  If you can limit your packaging choices to 3 or 4 different items, which is achievable if your menu is not crazy long, it can save on costs as well as space, and your staff will be more familiar with assembly if any is required, making your takeaway menu as streamlined as your dine in.
I have compiled a short list of popular winter food items and the best packaging to serve them in, hopefully it will come in handy when your take away orders spike as the mercury drops.

Soups, Stews, Laksa, Ramen and Pasta

Anything deliciously saucy with a little bit of extra weight needs a beautiful sugarcane fibre bowl or container.  Sugarcane Fibre (bagasse) which evidently is Sustainable and guilt free is an excellent choice in packaging.  Since bagasse is a by-product of the cane sugar industry, the quantity of production in each country is in line with the quantity of sugarcane produced.  This material performs exceptionally well with hot, greasy foods amongst others.  Sturdy and versatile, sugarcane fiber products can handle a wide variety of hot and cold foods, including soups and curries. They are grease and water resistant, and come in a large selection  of  different sizes, with matching leak-proof and secure lids, making them perfect for food deliveries. To top this all off,  this material is Microwave safe and oven proof up to 220°C for 20 minutes, it is also refrigerator and freezer safe.

Burgers, Yiros and Souvlaki

You want to get these guys wrapped tight, so the delicious contents don't ooze out all over your customers new pants, and ruin the experience of pigging out.  Get the product wrapped before you box it up.  Grease proof papers come in a variety of snazzy prints and styles, and you can brand them if you like, adding your own touch of creative flair.  After the wrap, roll a napkin around or tuck it under your product, as nothing says I love you like a napkin - It's just courteous.  No need to hold the sauce for your takeout options, just seal that baby up, before you put it in a pretty box.

Tacos, Loaded Fries & Baked Potatoes

Delicious, messy goodness! My mouth is watering just thinking of salsa dripping down my arm as I tuck in to a well-made taco!  These guys need a good sturdy tray, we don't want to squash these beauties, but we do want them sitting nice and firm in the tray, so make sure you get your size right. For home takeaway choose a Kraft clam shell to lid them, and load them up in to a lovely flat-bottomed bag. Our range of board trays are FSC certified and completely compostable.  Hot Food Friendly and very Eco Chic, just remember to use a liner if there is a bit more grease, as the last thing we want to see after polishing off a mean Mexican in our happy pants is a guilty reminder on the bottom of the box! That just spoils the moment..

 And there you have it, just a few little tips that can go a long way.  If you need some more specific packaging advice please send us an email or give us a call.