Empty white and kraft grazing boxes with window and clear lids lined up small to large on a catering prep bench

Buying GuideKitchen & Dining

Grazing Box Sizes and Packaging Guide for Caterers and Small Businesses

Small to large grazing box sizes, window lid vs clear lid, white vs kraft, and how to buy empty grazing boxes by the carton for a catering or grazing business.

By The dpack Trade Desk· Updated October 2026· 8 min read

Search for a grazing box and most results are for ordering a finished one - cheese, cured meats and fruit, delivered. This guide is for the other side of that order: the people who build and sell them. If you run a home-based grazing business, a catering kitchen or a cafe with a takeaway platter line, the box is part of the product. It decides how the spread looks when the lid comes off, whether it survives the drive, and how much each serve costs you before a single cracker goes in.

Below we cover the full run of grazing box sizes from small to large, the choice between a window lid and a full clear plastic lid, white versus kraft board, ideas that sell, and how to buy empty grazing boxes by the carton without overstocking. Every box in our range ships 24 to a carton - start with the 22.5cm white grazing box with window lid if you want the most popular single-serve size.

The short version

Size by serve: a small grazing box (around 22-27cm) suits one or two people, 30-36cm feeds a small group, and a large grazing box (45-58cm) is a share platter for a table or office.
Window lid looks like a gift box and leaves room for a label; a clear plastic lid shows the whole spread and suits a display fridge.
White board reads clean and premium; kraft reads rustic and natural - pick the one that matches your brand.
Line the base with baking or greaseproof paper for oily or wet items, and buy by the carton of 24 so your cost per box stays predictable.

Small, medium and large empty cardboard grazing boxes side by side to compare footprint and depth

Small to large

Grazing box sizes: which one for which order

Grazing box sizes fall into three working groups. Choose by how many people the box needs to feed and how it will be handed over.

Small grazing box (22.5 x 22.5cm and 27.3 x 17.4cm): single or couple serves, picnic boxes, add-ons to a larger order and corporate thank-you gifts.
Medium (30.5 x 20.5cm, 35.9 x 25.2cm and 36 x 25.8cm): the everyday seller - a date-night or small-group spread for three to six.
Large grazing box (45 x 31cm and 58 x 28cm): share platters for meetings, birthdays and long tables. The 58cm is a long, narrow format that fills a buffet run neatly.

Depth matters as much as footprint. Most of the range is 8cm deep, which holds a stacked wheel of brie or a small dip pot with the lid still closing flat. The 22.5cm window-lid box is a shallower 6cm - better for a single flat layer like sweets, biscuits or a neat cheese-and-cracker serve.

Size guide

Cardboard grazing box sizes at a glance

Every size in the range, with the lid style it comes in and an indicative serve. Serves depend on how generously you fill - treat them as a starting point.

Box size (L x W x D)	Lid style	Indicative serves	Best for
22.5 x 22.5 x 6cm	Window lid	1-2	Single serves, sweets, gift add-ons
27.3 x 17.4 x 8cm	Clear plastic lid	1-2	Picnic and lunch boxes
30.5 x 20.5 x 8cm	Clear plastic lid	2-3	Date-night and couple boxes
35.9 x 25.2 x 8cm	Window lid	3-5	Small-group and gift orders
36 x 25.8 x 8cm	Clear plastic lid	3-5	Display fridge and cafe counter
45 x 31 x 8cm	Window lid	6-8	Office, birthday and family share
58 x 28 x 8cm	Clear plastic lid	8-10	Buffet runs and long tables

All sizes come in both a White Series and a Brown (kraft) Series, packed 24 boxes per carton. Need a lidded tray or platter instead of a box? See our wholesale catering trays and platters.

White grazing box with a paperboard window lid next to a kraft grazing box with a full clear plastic lid

Grazing box with lid

Window lid or clear plastic lid?

Every grazing box in our range comes with a lid - the choice is which kind.

Window lid: a board lid with a clear window panel. It frames the spread like a gift box, hides the edges where fillings meet, and gives you a solid surface for a logo sticker, ribbon or ingredients label. The pick for gifting, events and delivery orders where the unboxing matters.
Clear plastic lid: the whole top is see-through, so customers see every item before they buy. That makes it the stronger choice for a cafe counter, a display fridge or a market stall where the box has to sell itself.

For delivery, both close flat on an evenly filled box. Keep tall items like grapes on the vine or a stack of crackers below the rim so the lid sits down without pressing on the food, and carry boxes flat - a grazing box is built to be stacked, not tilted.

White grazing box or kraft grazing box?

The board colour sets the tone before the lid comes off. A white grazing box gives a bright, clean frame that makes colourful fruit and florals pop and suits weddings, corporate gifting and premium positioning. A kraft grazing box has a natural, rustic look that pairs with cheese, charcuterie and an earthy or eco brand. Many grazing businesses stock one colour as their signature and keep a carton of the other for clients who ask.

Open kraft grazing boxes filled as a charcuterie box, a dessert grazing box and a brunch box on a timber bench

Grazing box ideas

Grazing box ideas that sell

The box format stays the same; what changes is the fill and the size you put it in. A few grazing box ideas that work as standing menu items:

Charcuterie box: cured meats, two or three cheeses, crackers, olives and a small dip - the classic. A medium 8cm-deep box gives room for a cheese wedge and a dip pot.
Dessert grazing box: brownies, macarons, chocolate, berries and mini tarts. Sweets sit flatter, so the shallow 22.5cm window-lid box makes a neat single serve.
Brunch grazing box: mini croissants, yoghurt cups, fruit and pastries for office mornings and baby showers - a large box covers a team.
Kids and party boxes: fruit, mini sandwiches and snacks portioned per child in small boxes, so there is no shared-platter mess.

Charcuterie box and grazing box are mostly used interchangeably - charcuterie leans meat-and-cheese, grazing covers any fill. Working out quantities for an event? Our event catering supplies calculator by guest count does the maths.

Buying grazing box packaging for a business

For a grazing business, packaging is a cost line like produce - and it is easier to control. Buying empty grazing boxes by the carton of 24 rather than in small retail packs keeps the cost per box steady, so you can price a menu once instead of re-quoting every order.

Start with two sizes: most businesses sell one small and one medium or large box. Add a third once a size is selling regularly.
Order to your busy weeks: grazing demand peaks around Christmas, Mother's Day and the spring wedding and event season. Order before the rush so you are not short on the weekend it counts.
Keep the extras with the boxes: baking paper, small sauce and dip containers, cocktail picks and napkins. Our wholesale disposable tableware guide for caterers covers the rest of the kit.
Know when a box is not the answer: hot food and saucy dishes belong in kraft catering boxes or lidded platters, and celebration cakes in a proper cake box - see our wholesale cake box guide.

Orders over $150 ex GST ship free across Melbourne metro, which a couple of cartons in different sizes will usually clear. Not sure which sizes to start with? Talk to the trade desk or call 0416 769 492.

Common questions

Grazing box FAQs

What size grazing box should I buy?

Match the box to the serve. A small grazing box around 22.5 x 22.5cm or 27.3 x 17.4cm suits one or two people, 30-36cm boxes feed a small group of three to six, and a large grazing box at 45 x 31cm or 58 x 28cm works as a share platter for an office or party.

Do grazing boxes come with lids?

Yes. Every grazing box in our range comes with a lid - either a board lid with a clear window, which looks like a gift box and takes a label well, or a full clear plastic lid that shows the whole spread for counter and fridge display.

What is the difference between a grazing box and a charcuterie box?

Very little in packaging terms - it is the same box. Charcuterie box usually means a meat-and-cheese fill, while grazing box covers any mix, including fruit, dessert and brunch spreads. Choose the size and lid for the fill and the occasion rather than the name.

Can I buy empty grazing boxes in bulk without a huge order?

Yes. Our grazing boxes are sold by the carton of 24, so a small business can stock two or three sizes without committing to a pallet. Orders over $150 ex GST get free delivery across Melbourne metro, and we ship Australia-wide.

How many people does a grazing box feed?

As a rough guide, a 22.5cm box feeds one to two, a 30-36cm box three to five, a 45 x 31cm box six to eight and a 58 x 28cm box eight to ten. Treat these as indicative - a generous fill or a full meal serve brings the count down.