From boxes to bags, stickers to stamps, fish and chip shops are finding clever ways to brand their packaging and keep costs down
In today’s competitive eating-out industry, branded packaging has become a powerful tool for takeaways to differentiate themselves, build brand loyalty and enhance the customer experience.
With the rise of delivery services and the growing trend of eating at home, branded packaging is becoming all the more crucial as the boxes and bags food arrives in are often the first physical interaction a customer has with a brand. Branded packaging, once the domain of large retailers with ample budgets and storage, is now accessible to businesses of all sizes due to innovative ideas and flexible solutions.
It’s certainly a top priority for Cem Oktem, owner of Oktem Kitchens, which operates four takeaways across Cumbria and Lancashire.
“A brand is so important. It sets you apart from the rest,” Cem says. “And where social media is a big influence these days on people, as soon as someone takes a picture of their food in one of our boxes and posts it on their socials, other people will see where it’s come from and it raises our profile.”
Complementing bespoke branded corrugated, two-compartment boxes are branded greaseproof paper, 7oz pots and carrier bags. Cem does not brand all items in the same way, however. While the boxes are tailored to each shop, requiring four boxes to be produced, one paper bag is printed that carries all four shop logos.
The greaseproof paper and 7oz sauce pots are different again, both featuring the generic Oktem Kitchen branding. This strategy allows for consistency in brand identity while also bringing cost and operational efficiencies. “It’s a way to tie everything together but it’s also for ease of stock,” says Cem. “If we are buying in bulk and using them across all sites it makes life easier.”
Branded packaging does come at a cost but one Cem considers an investment, adding: “There isn’t a great deal of difference in the price but there is a huge difference in value and I feel value outweighs the cost. And it’s all incorporated into our prices so we take it into account when we’re doing our margins on our products.”
Middle ground
While Cem’s budget can extend to bespoke packaging, this cannot be said for all shops. Catch Fish & Chips in Ashford, Kent, has opted for a middle ground approach by using a fish and chips-themed packaging range sourced from its wholesaler. This allows the takeaway to maintain a branded feel without the higher costs of fully customised packaging.
“We put out a good quality product and we want that reflected in the packaging we use, but branded packaging is too expensive for us,” says manager Kevin Hill. Instead, Catch uses matching boxes and large paper carrier bags. “This is the cheapest option for us, it gives us the identity of a fish and chip shop and is better than a blank box or bag while being sturdy, good quality packaging. And we can order what we need as we need it without the huge outlay with bespoke branded packaging.”
For The Bay Fish & Chips in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, owner Calum Richardson achieves a branded effect by adding stickers to plain, brown compostable takeaway boxes. This approach allows for frequent message updates, which Calum says enhances customer interaction and sustainability messaging.
Calum comments: “We’ll promote our social media pages, then The Bay on the Road, if a product is MSC certified we’ll pop on a sticker. It means we can promote different things at different times. It’s only a sticker that needs changing, not 14,000 boxes.
“What we’ve also found is that when we put, for example, an MSC sticker on, customers will say, ‘What’s that? and we then have the chance to interact with them and tell the story behind it.”
This approach also brings cost savings and avoids the need to raise prices as frequently. Calum comments: “If a branded box costs 30p each printed and I can get a plain box for 15p and add on a 2p sticker then I don’t have to put the price of my fish supper up by 10p. I know for a fact, my customers would be much happier with a non-branded box and get charged 10p less!”
Cost efficiency and brand visibility
Another approach is that taken by Towngate Fisheries in Idle, Bradford, which uses generic fish and chips branded packaging but invests in bespoke branded carrier bags. Recognising that these are what customers interact with the most, this method strikes a balance between cost efficiency and brand visibility, ensuring its brand is noticed without needing to fully customise all packaging elements.
In contrast, Fishtastic in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, uses brown craft boxes that staff hand-stamp with a custom ink stamp, creating a more personal, handcrafted feel. This method allows flexibility as the takeaway can adjust the stamps to cater for other events such as weddings and parties. Once again, hand-stamping reduces the costs compared to fully printed packaging while offering an authentic brand experience.
Branded packaging, whether fully customised or selectively branded, outsourced or created in-house, can elevate your brand, enhance the customer experience, and contribute to business growth. It also adds a personal touch and reinforces your identity. However, always ensure that your packaging is fit for purpose: that it keeps food hot and protected. Poorly executed branded packaging can do more harm than good, making good quality plain packaging a better option if the alternative doesn’t perform.
