Start with what people are drinking
The cup that fits your event is the one that matches what is actually going into it. Beer to a marked line, gin and tonic in a tall serve, prosecco on arrival, a half for a paced shift, a tea round for the stewards. Each one points at a different cup, and getting the call right is what stops bar service slowing down and bins filling up with cups thrown away half-full.
The current factory range covers seven core formats, all UKCA marked where the law requires it: pint to line, pint to brim, half pint, two pint, wine, 16oz cocktail and hot drinks. They are all moulded in food-grade polypropylene at our Stockton-on-Tees factory and printed either with full-colour in-mould labelling or single-colour screen print.
Quick sizing reference
- Pint to line (568ml at the fill mark): the default for beer, lager and cider served on licensed premises. UKCA marked at the legal line. Read pint to line vs pint to brim if you are unsure which one your bar needs.
- Pint to brim (around 625ml total): use for soft drinks, mixers, energy drinks and water. Not a legal pint for beer service, so it cannot replace a marked pint behind the bar.
- Half pint (284ml at the line): better for paced afternoon sessions, family events and venues where guests want a sensible measure. Also a strong choice for tasting flights.
- Two pint (around 1,136ml): festival main stages, beer gardens and rugby crowds. Cuts trips to the bar in half, which keeps queues moving on peak surge.
- Wine cup: stemmed, shatterproof, ideal for weddings, garden parties and outdoor cinema nights where glass is not allowed. Pairs well with our champagne flute for arrival drinks.
- 16oz cocktail: tall, slim profile that flatters a long serve and stacks well behind the bar for a fast prep line.
- Hot drinks: insulated double-wall for coffee, tea and mulled wine carts at winter events.
A decision matrix that actually works
Most event briefs sort cleanly into one of five buckets. Use this as a starting point, then refine based on bar count, guest profile and how long the event runs.
- Music festival, 18+ crowd: pint to line as the workhorse, plus a 16oz cocktail for the spirits bar. Order a small allocation of half pints for the staff areas and family camp. See the festival cups range.
- Sports stadium: pint to line everywhere alcohol is served, with pint to brim for the soft drink kiosks. UKCA marking is non-negotiable here.
- Wedding, 100 to 250 guests: a wine cup and a champagne flute for the reception, plus a pint to brim for soft drinks and water stations. See our wedding-specific guide.
- Brewery taproom or pub: pint to line and half pint, both branded, as part of a deposit-return loop. Add a stack cup pint variant if you have shelf space behind the bar at a premium.
- Charity 5k, school fete or community day: pint to brim or half pint, often unbranded stock with 5-working-day dispatch, paired with a generic deposit-return token.
Things people forget to factor in
Three things repeatedly catch event planners out. First, glassware bans. Outdoor venues, blue-light-license sites and most family-friendly events now require plastic. That rules in our entire range and rules out borrowing glass from a local pub. Second, dishwasher rotation. If you are running a deposit-return scheme with on-site washing, you need around 1.3 cups per attendee, not one. Read the festival logistics piece for the maths. Third, branding lead time. Full custom print on a 10-working-day standard run needs artwork sign-off before the clock starts. Eco Saver pricing runs on a 25-working-day timeline. If your event is closer than that, talk to us about plain stock or our sister service Express Cups.
What to do next
If you already know which format you need, the full cup range is the fastest path to a quote, all live pricing from £0.33 per cup at 2,000 units. If you are still narrowing it down, call 01642 615757 and walk us through the event. Five minutes on the phone usually closes out every question on this list.
