Pizza Box Sizes UK: The Complete Dimensions Chart
Short answer: a 12 inch pizza needs a box measuring 310 x 310 x 45mm. That is about 12.2 inches square - deliberately a few millimetres wider than the pizza itself, so the base slides in without dragging cheese up the side walls.
Pizza box sizes are one of the most common ordering mistakes in UK takeaway packaging, because the number on the box almost never matches the number on your menu. This guide gives you every standard size in millimetres and inches, explains why the labels are misleading, and shows you how to pick the right box for what you actually sell.
UK pizza box size chart
These are the sizes stocked by most UK trade suppliers. Depth is usually 40mm or 45mm depending on the size and the supplier.
| Pizza size | Box dimensions (mm) | Box size (inches) | Typically sold as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 inch | 180 x 180 x 40 | 7.1 in | Personal / kids |
| 9 inch | 235 x 235 x 40 | 9.3 in | Small |
| 10 inch | 260 x 260 x 45 | 10.2 in | Small to medium |
| 12 inch | 310 x 310 x 45 | 12.2 in | Medium to large |
| 14 inch | 355 x 355 x 45 | 14.0 in | Large |
| 16 inch | 405 x 405 x 45 | 15.9 in | Extra large / sharing |
The 10 inch and 12 inch figures in bold are the exact external dimensions of the boxes we stock. Treat the other rows as typical trade dimensions rather than a standard: sizes vary between suppliers by roughly 5mm either way, and there is no British Standard governing them.
The practical rule: always order against the millimetre dimension, never the inch label. Two suppliers can both sell a "14 inch box" and ship you cartons that differ by nearly a centimetre.
Why a 12 inch pizza box is not 12 inches
A 12 inch pizza measures 305mm across. A 12 inch pizza box measures 310mm across. That 5mm gap is not a rounding error - it is clearance, and it exists for three reasons:
- Loading speed. During a Friday rush nobody is centring a pizza to the millimetre. The gap lets a peel-loaded pizza drop in cleanly.
- Topping spread. Dough relaxes in the oven. A 12 inch base often comes out at 306-308mm once the crust has risen and the cheese has spread past the edge.
- Corner strength. The corrugated flutes need somewhere to fold. A box cut exactly to the pizza diameter would have no material left for a rigid corner.
Go the other way and you get the failure everyone recognises: a pizza wedged in at an angle, cheese welded to the side wall, and a customer opening a box that looks like it was dropped.
What size box do I need for my pizza?
Work from the largest pizza on your menu, not the most popular one. Boxes are cheap; a pizza that will not fit is a refund.
- Selling 9 and 10 inch pizzas? A 10 inch box at 260 x 260mm covers both comfortably.
- Selling 11 and 12 inch pizzas? You need the 12 inch box at 310 x 310mm. An 11 inch pizza in a 10 inch box will not close.
- Running both sizes? Stock both. Putting a 10 inch pizza in a 12 inch box wastes money on every order and lets the pizza slide around in transit.
If you are unsure, measure a cooked pizza rather than a raw base. Baked diameter is what has to fit.
Depth is the dimension people forget
Width gets all the attention, but depth decides whether the lid crushes your topping. Most UK pizza boxes are 40mm or 45mm deep.
- 40mm is fine for thin and classic bases.
- 45mm is the safer choice if you sell deep pan, stuffed crust, or anything heavily loaded. It is also more forgiving when boxes are stacked in a delivery bag.
Both our printed pizza boxes are 45mm deep for exactly this reason.
Board grade: what E-flute actually means
Size is only half the specification. The other half is what the box is made from.
E-flute is a corrugated board with a fine flute profile around 1.5mm thick. The corrugation traps air, which is what keeps a pizza hot on a 20 minute delivery run and stops the base going soft. Cheaper single-layer boxes have no corrugation at all - they are stiff card, they conduct heat straight out, and they sag under a heavy pizza.
Two other things worth checking on any quote:
- Inner liner. The surface touching your food should be food-safe kraft with a grease barrier. Recycled filler against hot food is a false economy and a food-safety question.
- Thermal vents. Small perforations let steam escape. Without them the pizza steams itself and the crust arrives soggy.
Printed or plain?
Most wholesale pizza boxes arrive plain brown kraft. That is the cheapest way to buy a box, and if your pizza goes out in a branded bag it may be all you need.
The argument for a printed box is simple: it is the only part of the order the customer sits and looks at while they eat. A full-colour printed box costs marginally more per unit than plain kraft and does a job on the doorstep that plain card cannot.
There is a middle option many operators miss. Bespoke printing with your own logo typically carries a minimum order of 1,000 to 5,000 boxes plus a lead time of several weeks. Stock full-colour printed boxes give you the look without the minimum - you can buy ten and have them tomorrow.
How many boxes should you order?
Pizza boxes ship flat-packed, so storage is less of a constraint than operators expect. A pack of 90 twelve inch boxes takes up roughly the footprint of a single crate.
- Testing a new size or supplier: a pack of 10 or 20.
- Single site, steady trade: a pack of 50 to 90 keeps you covered for weeks.
- Multi-site or catering volumes: buy by the pallet and get a delivered quote.
Work out your real usage before committing to a large order. Count boxes used across one full week, including the weekend peak, and multiply.
Frequently asked questions
What size box for a 12 inch pizza?
A box measuring 310 x 310 x 45mm. That is 12.2 inches square, giving roughly 5mm of clearance around a 305mm pizza so it loads cleanly and the toppings do not catch the sides.
Is a 12 inch pizza medium or large?
It depends who is selling it. At most UK independents a 12 inch is the large. At the big chains, where sizes run up to 13.5 inches, a 12 inch is usually the medium. The box dimensions are the same either way.
How many people does a 12 inch pizza feed?
A 12 inch pizza is about 113 square inches and is normally cut into eight slices. That comfortably feeds two adults, or three as part of a larger order.
What size pizza fits in a 10 x 10 inch box?
A 9 inch pizza fits comfortably. A true 10 inch pizza will be a tight squeeze in a box that measures exactly 10 x 10 inches - which is why UK 10 inch boxes are built at 260mm, or 10.2 inches.
Are pizza boxes recyclable?
Corrugated pizza boxes are recyclable as cardboard when clean. Heavy grease contamination is the usual barrier, so councils generally ask that badly soiled boxes go in general waste and lids are recycled separately where possible.
Do pizza box sizes vary between suppliers?
Yes. There is no standard governing them, and the inch label is a description rather than a measurement. Always order against the stated millimetre dimensions.
Getting the right box
The short version: match the millimetres, not the inch label. Order for the biggest pizza you sell, choose 45mm depth if your bases are loaded, and insist on corrugated board with a food-safe liner and thermal vents.
We stock both sizes covered in the bold rows above, full-colour printed as standard, in packs of 10, 20, 50 and 90 - with free UK delivery and same-day dispatch on orders placed before 3pm.
Browse our 10 inch and 12 inch printed pizza boxes, or see the rest of the takeaway packaging range including kraft carrier bags and reusable cutlery.
Buying in volume? Email sales@polamyxgroup.com for delivered pallet pricing.