With decades of experience in food service packaging, we can usually recommend pretty quickly where customers can improve the design of their corrugated packaging, and safely transport delicate goods over large distances. From bread trays to beer bottle gift packs, we’ve seen it all.
We recently had the privilege of being approached by a UK luxury cake maker searching for a packaging partner with the expertise to redesign a corrugated cake tray. The goal was simple; to reduce the chances of their precious baked goods becoming damaged in transit.
When we say luxury, we mean luxury. This brand is trusted for its premium cakes by famous faces, while also regularly supplying sweet treats into reputable UK supermarkets including Waitrose and Sainsbury’s.
Keep reading to understand the challenge the customer faced and how we helped protect their cakes in transit.
Before our partnership began, the customer’s cakes were delivered to supermarkets in trays with a lid on top. Goods were transported to central hubs, before being picked and distributed to stores and placed on the shelves ready for purchase.
While the contents of the trays promised much, the challenge was the frequent mishandling, and subsequent damage, of these delicate cakes when transported from the hubs to the stores.
Following a thorough review with the supermarket, it was identified that the root cause of the damage was the cake trays having closed lids. With the lid in place, pickers and delivery drivers had no knowledge of the contents. This resulted in a higher probability of mishandling in transit, with goods regularly reaching supermarket shelves damaged and customers left disappointed at the quality of what should be a luxury consumable item.
Damaged cakes risked returns, refunds and negative feedback for both the supermarkets and the customer, as well as risking future sales and revenue. Getting the solution right was crucial for all everyone involved.
Our challenge was to therefore redesign the corrugated cake tray to ensure delivery drivers knew what was inside and encourage them to take better care of their precious cargo.
After discussing the brief with the customer, our designers were able to recommend a solution that prioritised safeguarding the cakes without compromising current distribution and delivery processes.
Rather than transporting baked goods in trays with a closed lid, we proposed an open tray with a protective lip around the edge to secure the cakes in position. This open design made the contents easy to identify from the moment they’re picked in the central distribution hubs, to the time they reach a supermarket shelf. The trays were also stackable, making them easy to transport in bulk.
By being transparent with the contents of the cake trays, the hope was that pickers and drivers would handle the trays with greater care; reducing the number of cakes becoming damaged in transit.
Our vision quickly became reality, with the new design greatly reducing the amount of damaged goods. The success with the cake trays also opened the door to further opportunities for us to collaborate with the same customer, with our team selected to support the rebranding of boxes as part of an ongoing packaging partnership.
Protecting precious cargo is baked into how we approach any food service packaging project. If your business manufactures delicate food and beverage items and is struggling to achieve a design that successfully prioritises brand recognition and product protection, then we’re here to help.
Speak to our dedicated team of packaging designers and we’ll diagnose the problem, before recommending the best solution.
