Pizza Box Sizes in Inches and mm

What are the standard UK pizza box sizes?

UK takeaways work to six square box sizes, one for each common pizza from 7 to 16 inch. The table gives the pizza size and the inside size of the box in inches and millimetres.

Every figure is an inside measurement, so it tells you the space the pizza actually gets. The outside of the box is a touch larger because of the board wall.

Each size has its own page in the Pizza Boxes by Size range, with the board and print options for that box.

Why does the box leave a quarter inch of room around each pizza?

A quarter inch over the pizza is the gap that works on a busy line. It lets the base slide in off the peel or screen without the crust catching on the wall.

Go tighter and the edge of the crust presses on the board. Cheese drags against the side, and the pizza can buckle as you close the lid.

Go much bigger and the pizza moves about in the bag. A driver tilts the stack on a corner, the pizza slides into one wall and the toppings pile up on that side.

The quarter inch is the middle ground. The pizza sits flat and centred, with just enough room to get a slice server under one edge.

How deep is a standard pizza box?

All six standard boxes are 1.75 in (44 mm) deep inside. That suits thin and classic bases from a deck, wood-fired or electric oven, with room above the toppings for steam to move.

The lid sits clear of the cheese, so it does not lift a layer of mozzarella when the customer opens the box. Side vents near the top of the wall let steam out instead of letting it soak back into the crust.

A shallower box would press on toppings like whole basil leaves or a mound of rocket. A deeper box for a thin pizza only adds air, which lets the base cool sooner.

Which box suits a deep pan pizza?

Deep pan, stuffed crust and pan-style pizzas rise well above a thin base. In a standard 1.75 in box the lid can touch the top, smear the cheese and trap steam right against it.

For these we make deeper boxes to the size you send. The footprint usually stays the same as your standard box, so a 12 inch deep pan still gets a quarter inch around it, and only the wall height changes.

B-flute is often the better board for a deeper box. The thicker wall holds its shape over a taller side and holds heat a little longer than E-flute.

Tell us the height of your tallest bake, measured at the highest point of the toppings, and we will allow clearance above it on your quote.

How to measure your own pizza bases

Your dough ball and your oven decide the real size of the pizza, not the name on the menu. A pizza sold as 12 inch can come out a little wider or narrower, so measure a few from a normal service.

1. Take three or four pizzas from a busy shift, not a test bake, so the size reflects how your team really stretches dough.
2. Lay each one on a flat surface after baking and let it settle for a minute.
3. Measure straight across the widest point, crust edge to crust edge, in inches or millimetres.
4. Measure the height at the tallest topping if you serve deep pan or loaded pizzas.
5. Note the largest result, not the average, because the box has to fit your biggest pizza.
6. Match that figure to the table above, or send it to us if it falls between two sizes.

If your pizzas sit between two standard sizes, or you want a deeper wall, send the measurements when you request a quote for your boxes. We reply by email within one working day with the size we would make.

Round or square: which box shape suits your pizzas?

The square box is the UK standard for good reasons. It folds from one flat sheet, the corners stiffen the lid, and square boxes stack straight in a delivery bag.

The corners also leave small gaps around a round pizza. Those gaps give steam somewhere to go and give a dip pot or a folded napkin a place to sit.

A round or eight-sided box follows the shape of the pizza more closely. It looks distinctive on the counter and suits shops that want a different presentation.

Round boxes are sized by pizza diameter, so you measure the same way as above. See our round and eight-sided pizza boxes for the shapes we make.

For most delivery kitchens, square stays the practical choice. Round works well for collection, events and menus built around one signature pizza.

Long boxes made to size

Not every bake is round. Calzone, flatbreads, garlic bread strips and long sharing pizzas need a long, shallow box that a square size cannot hold well.

These are made to the length, width and height you send. Measure the longest item you serve, allow a little room at each end so it slides in cleanly, and tell us how many items go in one box.

A long box keeps a calzone from rolling and stops a flatbread folding up at the ends. You can see the style on our calzone and flatbread boxes page.

Long boxes take the same board and print choices as square ones, so they can carry your logo in the same colours as the rest of your packaging.

Which sizes should a takeaway menu stock?

Most shops do not need all six sizes. Boxes you rarely use take up shelf space beside the oven, so match your boxes to how your menu actually sells.

• A three-size menu often runs 10, 12 and 14 inch, with the 12 inch box going out most often.
• Adding a 16 inch box helps with party, match day and office lunch orders.
• A 7 or 9 inch box suits kids' meals, lunch deals and single-person orders.
• Street food vans and market stalls often stick to one size to keep the counter clear.
• Dark kitchens running several brands can share one plain box size and print the lid per brand.

The 12 Inch Pizza Boxes are a sensible place to start, since that size sits in the middle of most menus. Flat boxes stack neatly on a shelf until you fold them, so order your busiest sizes in larger runs.

Common size mistakes to avoid

Ordering by the menu name instead of the measured pizza is the most common slip. If your 12 inch pizzas come out wider, the crust will catch on every box.

Mixing up inside and outside sizes causes trouble too. Our sizes are inside measurements, so compare like with like when you check figures from elsewhere.

Using one deep box for every pizza wastes board and lets thin pizzas slide. Keep deeper boxes for the bakes that need them.

Check the size on your quote and on the free design proof before you approve it. Nothing is printed until you say yes, and production then takes 4 to 6 working days.