Takeaway menu printing: a UK guide to sizes, paper, costs and distribution
Updated 19 October 2026
Most UK takeaways print their menu as a DL leaflet: an A4 sheet folded into three panels, printed both sides on 130–170gsm silk or gloss paper, in runs of 2,500 to 10,000. Larger menus use A3 folded to A4. Before you print, check the essentials: VAT-inclusive prices, an allergen line, opening hours, delivery area, and a QR code so customers can order direct. In Wales, you must also print a food hygiene rating statement.
Which size should a takeaway menu be?
| Format | Finished size | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| A4 folded to DL (tri-fold) | 99 × 210 mm folded, 6 panels | The standard takeaway menu. Fits letterboxes and delivery bags. |
| DL flat | 99 × 210 mm, 2 sides | Short menus, offers, meal deals |
| A3 folded to A4 | 210 × 297 mm folded, 4 big pages | Curry houses and Chinese takeaways with 80+ dishes |
| A5 flyer | 148 × 210 mm | Openings, new-menu launches, student areas |
| A6 card | 105 × 148 mm | Vouchers in delivery bags, fridge magnets |
Start with a takeaway menu template or make a DL menu in our free menu maker.
Paper and finish
| Paper | Feel | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| 130gsm silk or gloss | Light, folds well | Large door-to-door drops |
| 150–170gsm silk | The usual takeaway choice | Folded menus that stay on the fridge |
| 250–350gsm card | Stiff, can't fold well | Flat DL menus, counter menus, vouchers |
Silk is easier to write on and less shiny under kitchen lights. Gloss makes food photos pop. These are common print-shop defaults, not rules. Ask your printer.
How much does takeaway menu printing cost?
Price per leaflet falls fast as quantity rises. Setup costs are spread over the run. Get quotes from two or three UK printers on the same spec: size, folds, paper weight, finish, single or double-sided, quantity and delivery.
Work out if it pays. An example, with made-up quote figures:
| Figure | |
|---|---|
| 5,000 DL tri-fold menus (example quote) | £180 |
| Distribution (example) | £220 |
| Total campaign cost | £400 |
| Average order | £22 |
| Gross profit at 65% | £14.30 per order |
| Orders needed to break even | 28 |
That's 28 orders from 5,000 homes. Put a code on the leaflet ("Use LEAFLET10 online") so you can count the orders it brings. Discount codes are on Menuthere's Lite plan (US$17 a month) and above.
What to put on a takeaway menu
- Name, logo and what you serve
- Phone number and a QR code to order online
- Opening hours, including the last order time
- Delivery area, delivery charge and minimum order
- Numbered dishes, so phone orders are quick and accurate
- Meal deals and family bundles on the front panel
- Prices in £, including VAT (hot takeaway food is standard-rated at 20%)
- Allergen statement, such as "Food allergies? Tell us when you order. Allergen information for every dish is available."
- Spice or heat key, and V / VG marks
- Payment methods (card, cash, Apple Pay)
- "Prices correct at time of print", plus a small print date or version code
- Wales only: the food hygiene rating statement (below)
Design ideas, from layout to wording, are in our menu design guide.
UK rules for printed takeaway menus
Allergens
When customers order by phone or online, they can't see your allergen matrix. So the allergen information must be available before they order (for example, by asking when they phone) and again when the food arrives. Print a clear allergen line, and train staff to answer. Keep an up-to-date allergen matrix by the phone. For online orders, show allergens on each dish: on Menuthere you can tag any of the 14 allergens and calories on each dish, on every plan including Free, and customers see them when they open the dish.
Wales: food hygiene rating statement
Since 28 November 2016, takeaways in Wales must print a bilingual statement on menus and leaflets that show food, prices and a way to order without visiting. The law sets the exact wording:
Ewch i food.gov.uk/ratings i ganfod sgôr hylendid bwyd ein busnes neu gofynnwch inni beth yw ein sgôr hylendid bwyd wrth archebu. / Go to food.gov.uk/ratings to find out the food hygiene rating of our business or ask us for our food hygiene rating when you order
Put it somewhere easy to see, in at least 9-point Times New Roman (not narrowed), with at least 3 mm between lines.
England, Scotland and Northern Ireland don't require this on leaflets. Displaying a good rating is still worth it.
VAT-inclusive prices
Show the price the customer pays. If you're VAT-registered, that includes VAT. Our VAT on takeaway food guide explains hot and cold rates.
How to get your menus out
| Method | How it works | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| In every delivery bag | One menu per order | Cheapest. Reaches people who already order. |
| Your own team, door to door | Staff post through letterboxes | Respect "no junk mail" signs. Check safety for young staff. |
| Leaflet distribution companies | Pay per thousand delivered | Ask for GPS tracking and proof of delivery. |
| Royal Mail Door to Door | Delivered with the post, by postcode sector | Check Royal Mail's current minimums and prices |
| Handing out in the street | Flyers near a station or campus | May need council consent (below) |
Handing out leaflets: council consent
Councils can name areas, often town centres, where handing out free leaflets needs their consent first. This comes from the Environmental Protection Act 1990, Schedule 3A. Fees and areas vary by council, and distributing without consent can lead to a fine. The rule covers handing out leaflets and putting them on cars, but not posting them through letterboxes. Check your council's website before you hand out flyers.
Getting your file ready for print
- Bleed: extend background colours 3 mm past the edge
- Safe zone: keep text at least 3–5 mm inside the trim and away from folds
- Panel order: on a tri-fold, the front cover is the right-hand panel of the outside. Ask your printer for their template.
- Resolution: photos at 300 dpi at print size
- Colour: CMYK for most print shops
- Proof: check every price and phone number, then ask someone else to check again
Make every menu bring direct orders
A leaflet that only shows a phone number loses customers who'd rather order on their phone. A QR code fixes that. Point it at your own ordering page, not a delivery app, and you keep the whole order.
- Upload your menu to Menuthere. Sign up free and upload the PDF or a photo. AI reads your dishes and prices; check them before you save.
- Download your QR code and add it to the leaflet's front or back panel.
- Customers scan and order for collection or delivery, with 0% commission. When prices change, update them online. The leaflet's QR code still works.
See our takeaway ordering system, and more ideas in how to increase takeaway sales.
Free plan: QR codes, unlimited items, 50 orders a month, 0% commission.
FAQs
What size is a takeaway menu?
Usually DL: an A4 sheet folded into three panels, 99 × 210 mm when folded. Big menus use A3 folded to A4.
What paper should I use for takeaway menus?
150–170gsm silk is the most common choice for folded menus. Use 130gsm for very large door-to-door drops, and card (250gsm or more) for flat menus.
How many takeaway menus should I print?
Enough for one area you can deliver to, plus one for every order bag for a few months. Many takeaways print 2,500 to 10,000 at a time, because the price per leaflet falls with quantity.
Do I need permission to hand out takeaway leaflets?
In some areas, yes. Councils can require consent to hand out free leaflets in named areas such as town centres. Posting through letterboxes doesn't need this consent.
Do takeaway menus need allergen information?
They need a clear way for customers to get it before they order, such as a line telling them to ask, and the information must be given again at delivery. Many takeaways also mark common allergens on each dish.
Do takeaways in Wales need to show their hygiene rating on menus?
Yes. Takeaway menus and leaflets in Wales that let customers order without visiting must carry a bilingual statement about food hygiene ratings.
Sources (8)
- Food Standards Agency, Allergen guidance for food businesses (distance selling). Accessed 11 Oct 2026. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/allergen-guidance-for-food-businesses/allergen-guidance-for-food-businesses
- The Food Hygiene Rating (Promotion of Food Hygiene Rating) (Wales) Regulations 2016 (SI 2016/429). Accessed 11 Oct 2026. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2016/429/made
- Flintshire County Council, news notice on the Wales takeaway statement (in force 28 Nov 2016). Accessed 11 Oct 2026. https://www.flintshire.gov.uk/en/Resident/Council-Apps/NewsPortlet.aspx?id=845
- Environmental Protection Act 1990, Schedule 3A (distribution of free printed matter). Accessed 11 Oct 2026. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1990/43/schedule/3A
- Food Hygiene Rating (Promotion of Food Hygiene Rating) (Wales) Regulations 2016, SI 2016/429, regs 1–3 (in force 28 Nov 2016; prescribed bilingual statement, 9-point type, 3 mm line spacing). legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 11 Oct 2026. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2016/429/regulation/3/made
- Environmental Protection Act 1990, Schedule 3A para 1 (distribution of free printed matter; letterboxes excluded). legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 11 Oct 2026. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1990/43/schedule/3A
- Birmingham City Council, Apply for consent to distribute free printed materials (example council scheme). Accessed 11 Oct 2026. https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/20083/general_licensing_applications/164/apply_for_consent_to_distribute_free_printed_materials_leaflets_flyers_etc
- HMRC, VAT Notice 709/1: catering and take-away food. Accessed 11 Oct 2026. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/catering-takeaway-food-and-vat-notice-7091