A delivered festive cover costs between €0.40 and €1.20 in packaging depending on the container chosen — on a €45 menu, that is between 1 and 3% of the selling price. The gap does not come from quality: it comes from how the customer is going to eat. A dish to reheat in the oven, a dish ready to serve and a dish to present do not call for the same container, and choosing the wrong one costs you either margin or an unhappy customer on the evening of 31 December.
Three ways of handing over, three containers
The question is not « which box is best » but « what will the customer do at home ». The three cases are settled in a minute.
| The customer will… | Suitable container | Why | Cost per cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reheat in the oven | Aluminium tray 825 ml | Aluminium goes in the oven. Never in the microwave — write it on the label, do not assume it is known. | €0.132 |
| Serve as is | XPS meal box, 2 or 3 compartments | XPS insulates: the dish arrives still warm and the elements do not mix. | €0.197 |
| Present at the table | Octaview with clear lid | The customer sees the dish without opening it. That is what makes the difference on a festive order. | €0.318 to €0.520 |
Two traps to avoid. The clear lid is PET: it warps under heat, so it goes neither in the oven nor under a heat lamp. And an insulated box does not reheat anything — it slows heat loss, which is very different when the delivery run lasts forty minutes.
The box you can see into without opening
On a festive order, the customer opens the bag in front of their guests. A clear lid transforms that moment: the dish shows itself before being served, and the care taken in plating stays visible. It is the only item on this list that is actually seen.
Black Octaview box 19 cm with clear lid (FRI-C41)
The container that shows itself. Black base, clear lid: the plating stays visible right up to serving, which changes how a festive order is perceived.
- Box of 200 pieces — €63.58
- €0.318 per piece
- 23 cm format available for large portions
- PET lid: neither oven nor heat lamp
The full calculation, item by item
Catalogue prices as of 14 October 2026, broken down per unit. A caterer delivering a full menu rarely adds everything up: yet that is exactly where the margin is decided.
| Item | Reference | Pack size | Unit cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dish to reheat | ST-D05 — aluminium tray 825 ml | 1,000 pieces — €131.90 | €0.132 |
| Ready dish, 2 compartments | FLA-A29 — AP4 XPS meal box | 200 pieces — €39.42 | €0.197 |
| Presented dish, small | FRI-C41 — Octaview 19 cm + lid | 200 pieces — €63.58 | €0.318 |
| Presented dish, large | FRI-C40 — Octaview 23 cm + lid | 200 pieces — €104.04 | €0.520 |
| Starter or dessert | DU-211931 — Octaview Duni 540 ml | 420 pieces — €144.98 | €0.345 |
| Plate | DU-205762 — bagasse plate Ø 22 cm | 400 pieces — €59.59 | €0.149 |
| Cutlery + napkin | ST-D11 — wood, 3-in-1 | 250 pieces — €25.80 | €0.103 |
| Finger wipe | GLD-516 — F&G lemon wipe | 700 pieces — €89.00 | €0.127 |
| Table runner | GAR-180.24-B — Spunbond 0.4 × 48 m | 6 rolls — €71.10 | €0.247 per metre |
| Table candle | BO-107730509900 — tealights 6 h | 750 pieces — €53.94 | €0.072 |
A full cover of « presented dish + plate + cutlery + finger wipe » therefore comes to €0.70. The same cover in « to reheat » form, without plate or wipe, drops to €0.24. Three times less, for a service perceived differently — it is up to you to decide where you sit.
Aluminium tray 825 ml (ST-D05)
The container for the dish to be reheated. Aluminium goes in a conventional oven, which no plastic or insulated container on this list allows.
- Box of 1,000 pieces — €131.90
- €0.132 per piece — the lowest cost in the table
- Oven yes, microwave never
- To be stated on the label given to the customer
🔥 Oven or microwave, never by guesswork
Aluminium goes in the oven and never in the microwave. PET and XPS go in neither. Putting it on the label avoids the phone call on 31 December.
👀 What is seen is what sells
The clear lid is the only item on the list the customer actually looks at. On a festive order that is €0.20 of difference and a lasting impression.
🚚 Delivered before the rush
Order placed in early December, delivery to Belgium, Luxembourg, France, the Netherlands and Germany before the festive week.
Table covering: the forgotten item that shows the most
A caterer who also delivers the table — corporate buffets, catered festive meals, banquets — needs rolls, not individual pieces. The runner goes down the centre of a bare table and costs a quarter of a full-width tablecloth.
How much to order without running short on the 31st
Three simple rules, drawn from what actually happens in late December:
- Count containers, not menus. A three-course menu delivered separately is three containers per cover — and often a fourth for the sauce.
- Allow 10% margin on the main container. It is the one you damage while filling, and the one you cannot substitute with anything else on the day.
- Order the small items in one go. Cutlery, finger wipes and candles keep indefinitely in practice: reordering them urgently costs more in delivery than in product.
The last week of December is the tightest of the year in logistics. An order placed in early December avoids depending on a top-up on the 28th.
And if you also run a market stall
Many caterers combine both activities in December: festive deliveries and a stall at a Christmas market. Careful — these are not the same rules.
On a market, single-use cups are banned: in Wallonia since September 2023 for plastic, in the City of Brussels since September 2026 whatever the material. None of this applies to a home delivery. The detail and the full list for a stall are in our article on the consumables of a Christmas market stall.
For the rest, our guide to professional food packaging in Belgium covers materials and uses outside the festive period, the paper versus fabric tablecloth comparison goes deeper on table covering, and our page on napkins and how to fold them completes the plating side.
Frequently asked questions
Can an aluminium tray go in the microwave ?
No. Aluminium reflects microwaves and can cause arcing. It does however work very well in a conventional oven, which makes it the container for the dish to be reheated. Put it on the label: the customer does not always know, and there is no fixing it on New Year's Eve.
Can a clear lid go in the oven ?
No. Clear lids are PET, which warps under heat — neither oven nor heat lamp. If the dish is to be reheated, the container has to be chosen for that from the start, not patched afterwards by swapping the lid.
What does packaging a festive menu really cost ?
Between €0.24 and €0.70 per cover depending on the level of service: €0.24 for a dish to reheat in an aluminium tray with cutlery, €0.70 for a presented dish in an Octaview with plate, cutlery and finger wipe. On a €45 menu, that is between 0.5 and 1.6%.
Does an insulated box keep the dish hot ?
It slows heat loss, it does not heat. On a forty-minute delivery run the difference with a non-insulating container is clear; beyond an hour and a half, no container replaces reheating at the customer's.
When should you order for the festive season ?
Early December. The last week of December is the tightest of the year in logistics, and a top-up on 28 December depends on what is left in stock. GL Distribution delivers to Belgium, Luxembourg, France, the Netherlands and Germany.
Get your festive orders ready
Catering containers, table covering and tableware, in stock, delivered before the festive week.
See the Octaview boxesSee the aluminium trays