What Are Stack Cups, Really?
Stack cups are reusable plastic pint cups built around a patented spiral handle that lets one person carry four or more drinks in a single hand. No tray, no juggling, no spilled lager on someone's trainers. Each cup base slots cleanly into the handle of the next, creating a secure interlocking column. It is one of those small engineering ideas that sounds obvious in hindsight, and once you have used a set you will not want to go back.
We manufacture every Stack-Cup at our facility in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham. That means UK quality control, UKCA and CE compliance, no overseas shipping waits, and a real human you can call if your event date moves on you.
Why Stack Cups Took Over UK Festivals
Three reasons. Speed of service, fewer breakages, and brand exposure that outlasts the weekend.
1. Bar speed
When a single person can collect a full round in one hand, queue times collapse. Bigger throughput means more revenue per hour for the bar, fewer angry punters, and less staff time wasted handing out trays that always end up in a hedge by Sunday.
2. Glass-free safety
Most UK festivals and stadiums simply will not licence glass on site. Stack cups are moulded from food-grade polypropylene (PP), are BPA-free, and survive being dropped, kicked, and stood on without shattering. They also pass the wash cycle 500+ times before retirement.
3. Branding that travels
The full surface area is brandable via In-Mould Labelling (IML), so your sponsors, bar names, or event logos are baked right into the cup wall. The print does not peel or fade, even after a season of festival abuse.
The Stack Cup Range at a Glance
Not every cup is built for every drink. Here is the full Stack-Cup range, with capacity, typical use, and starting price per unit at our 50-cup minimum order.
| Cup | Capacity | Best For | From (per cup) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pint to Line | 568 ml legal | Beer, cider, draught | £1.40 |
| Pint to Brim | 625 ml brim | Soft drinks, mixers | £1.40 |
| Half Pint | 284 ml legal | Halves, premium ales | £0.90 |
| Two Pint | 1136 ml | Doubles, faster service | £1.95 |
| Stack Flute | 250 ml fill | Champagne, prosecco | £1.10 |
| Wine Cup | 350 ml stackable | Wine, mixers, racecourses | £0.95 |
Volumes drop dramatically at scale. Order 10,000+ and unit costs can fall to £0.33 per cup, depending on size and print spec.
How to Choose the Right Stack Cup for Your Event
If you are running a beer festival
Pint to Line is the default choice. UKCA and CE marked, legal pint with headspace, ideal for cask and craft serves. See the full pint cup range for sizing and pricing.
If you are doing cocktails or VIP service
16oz Cocktail Cups for serves with crushed ice, Stack Flutes for sparkling, Wine Cups for stillage. All stack into the same family handle, so service is uniform across your bar.
If you need bar throughput speed
Two Pint cups halve the number of trips to the bar per round. They are particularly popular at stadium events and outdoor cinemas.
Custom Branded Stack Cups: Quick Facts
- Minimum order: 50 cups (one of the lowest minimums in the UK).
- Standard lead time: 10 working days from artwork approval.
- Print options: Full-colour IML, single-colour screen print, or multi-side artwork.
- Production: 100% UK manufactured, zero imports.
Want to compare branding methods? Our follow-up post breaks down IML versus screen print in detail.
Sustainability Snapshot
One Stack-Cup, used and washed across a typical festival weekend, displaces an estimated 80 to 100 disposable cups. Multiply that across a season and the maths gets painful for single-use plastics very quickly. We also operate a closed-loop wash and reuse service so cups can be returned, sanitised, and stored for your next event.
Ready to Order?
Whether you need 50 cups for a charity night or 100,000 for a multi-stage festival, the process is the same: send us your spec, we quote, you approve artwork, we ship within 10 working days. Request a quote, browse the full Stack-Cup range, or read about how we manufacture every cup in Stockton-on-Tees.
