Butcher and Deli Packaging Checklist: What Wraps and Bags Each Product (Before Christmas)

Christmas is the busiest fortnight of the year for a butcher or deli: hams, turkeys, platters, cheese and cold cuts all walk out the door at once. The wrap runs out on a Tuesday, the bag size you need is on back order, and you are cutting paper by hand. This checklist matches each product to the packaging that suits it, with starter quantities, so you can place one order before the rush. Most counters start with butchers paper sheets.

For the daily counter wrap, the deli size butchers paper sheets, 510 x 380mm, 4.25kg pack are a handy first order. For anything you want to extend shelf life on, add the commercial vacuum sealer bags, 300 x 200mm, 70µm.

Which packaging goes with which product?

The simplest way to plan is by product, not by packaging type. Here is the quick map we use as a starting point, and the sections below explain each line.

• Steaks, chops and sausages sold over the counter: butchers paper sheets, with a bag over the top for carry-out.
• Roasts, hams and whole cuts for storing or gifting: vacuum sealer bags, or a poly bag if they will be eaten soon.
• Sliced cold cuts, salami and cheese portions: press seal bags, or wrap in paper and then bag.
• Marinated meats in the display fridge: clear poly bags, heat sealed or tied.
• Platters and Christmas orders: a paper food bag or carry bag to hold everything together.

Quantities depend on your trade, so treat the numbers later in this post as a starting point rather than a rule.

Step 1: Counter wrap for cuts, sausages and deli items

Wrapping paper is the item you use most, so it is the one to stock deepest. You have two formats. Pre-cut sheets are faster at a busy counter because the paper is already the right size. Rolls suit a bench with a dispenser, where you tear to length and waste less. QIS stocks butchers paper rolls from 450mm to 1215mm wide, and the 750mm and 915mm widths are the most popular for butcher counters.

Sheets are sold by weight, not by count. Per our butchers paper guide, a 17kg pack of deli size sheets (510 x 380mm) holds roughly 1,900 sheets, and the smaller 4.25kg pack is roughly a quarter of that. If you wrap 150 items on a normal day, a 4.25kg pack covers a few days, and a 17kg pack covers a couple of weeks.

One important point on food contact. Butchers paper is a plain, uncoated newsprint grade paper, and Australia has no official "food grade certificate" for paper. QIS describes this paper as a wrapping and covering stock, so for raw, wet or very fatty product, wrap in a clean inner layer or bag first and use the paper as the outer wrap. If you need a written specification for your own food safety plan, ask our team before you order. If you are unsure how butchers paper differs from greaseproof, our butchers paper vs greaseproof vs baking paper guide covers it.

Step 2: Vacuum bags for roasts, hams and stock you want to hold

Vacuum sealing removes air, which slows oxidation and extends refrigerated shelf life. For a commercial counter, the right bag is an in-chamber bag (70µm), made for chamber vacuum sealers, which are standard in commercial butcheries. QIS stocks commercial sizes from 200 x 150mm up to 400 x 400mm, enough for single steaks through to roasts and bulk packs.

Domestic suction-type bags are available too, but they are better for home and low-volume use. If you are weighing up the two, our vacuum bags guide explains how each works. Browse the full vacuum sealer bags range, and match the bag size to your most common cut so you are not sealing a small piece in an oversized bag.

Starter picks for a butcher or deli counter

Step 3: Press seal bags for sliced meats, cheese and portions

Deli counters live on press seal bags (also called zip lock bags). They suit sliced smallgoods, cold cuts, salami, portioned cheese, deli salads and individual serves for the display fridge. QIS press seal bags come in 26 sizes, from 50 x 75mm up to 305 x 405mm, in standard 50µm and heavy duty 75µm. Pick the 75µm option for heavier items such as a block of cheese or a rolled roast, and 50µm for light slices.

Browse the resealable press seal bags collection and pick two or three sizes to start. Most delis find one small, one medium and one large covers 90% of sales. If you are not sure whether a bag suits your product, the product pages describe the plastic as food grade, and our food-grade plastic bags guide explains the Australian standards in plain English.

Step 4: Poly bags for display fridge cuts and marinated meats

For tray-packed and marinated meats in the display fridge, clear plastic poly bags with a heat seal or tied closure are the usual choice. Clear film lets customers see the product, and a sealed bag keeps marinade contained. If you will be sealing bags in volume, a heat sealer is worth the money; check our heat sealer range for spares and repair kits as well.

Freezing is another consideration. Many customers buy their Christmas ham or turkey early and freeze it, and the bag matters when it does. Our guide on which bags you can freeze is a good one to send customers to.

Step 5: Bags and carry-out for Christmas orders

Platters, hams and large orders need something sturdy to carry them out. Paper food bags are the usual choice for takeaway orders, and the brown SOS style bags come in more than 30 sizes. For a Christmas order that includes a ham, a pack of sausages and a cheese wheel, size up rather than down: a split bag at the door is the worst way to end a sale.

Printed packaging is a separate subject, but if you want to add your shop name to a bag, mention it to our team when you order.

How much should you stock before Christmas?

Nobody knows exactly what the last week before Christmas will look like, so work from a number and add a buffer. In this checklist we assume a counter serving about 100 customers a day in a normal week, with roughly 50% extra in the final fortnight. That is an assumption, not QIS data, so swap in your own sales figures.

On that basis, a sensible starting order for a small butcher or deli looks like this:

• Butchers paper: one 17kg pack of sheets or one roll, with a second on hand for the final week.
• Vacuum bags: one pack in your most-used size, plus a pack of the next size up.
• Press seal bags: one pack each of two or three sizes.
• Poly bags: one pack of your most common display size.
• Paper food bags: one pack of a medium size and one of a larger size for platter orders.

After the first busy week, count what is left and adjust. Most counters find one item runs out well ahead of the rest.

When should you order?

Order earlier than you think. Delivery time depends on where you are, and regional and rural areas take longer than metro. QIS ships Australia-wide, and orders placed before 12pm Monday to Friday are dispatched the same day. Do not rely on a last-minute order, and check carrier cut-off dates directly with your carrier. Our Christmas packaging order deadlines guide walks through the planning side.

Where to go next

The packaging for butchers and delis page puts the whole range in one place. If you also run platters and events, see packaging for catering businesses, and if you sell hot takeaway meals, the restaurants and takeaway page covers containers and bags. For bigger quantities, request a quote.

You can also pick up from our Archerfield QLD warehouse between 8:30am and 4:30pm, Monday to Friday, and our 5% price-beat guarantee applies. For help choosing sizes, call 1800 555 343.

Frequently asked questions

What packaging does a new butcher or deli need?

At minimum: butchers paper for counter wrap, vacuum sealer bags for cuts you want to hold, press seal bags for sliced and portioned items, clear poly bags for display packs, and a food bag or carry bag for customer orders.

Is butchers paper safe to wrap meat in?

Butchers paper is an uncoated wrapping paper, and Australia has no official food grade certificate for paper. QIS describes its paper as a wrapping and covering stock, so for raw or wet product use an inner bag or layer and the paper as the outer wrap. Ask our team for the specification if you need it for your food safety plan.

What size vacuum bag suits a steak or roast?

QIS commercial vacuum bags run from 200 x 150mm to 400 x 400mm. Smaller bags suit single steaks and portions, and larger ones suit roasts and bulk packs. Match the bag to your most common cut.

How many sheets of butchers paper are in a pack?

Sheets are sold by weight. A 17kg pack of deli size sheets (510 x 380mm) holds roughly 1,900 sheets, and the 4.25kg pack roughly a quarter of that.

What bag is best for sliced meats and cheese?

Press seal bags are the usual choice. Use 50µm for light slices and 75µm heavy duty for heavier portions such as a block of cheese.

When should I order for Christmas?

As early as you can. Same-day dispatch applies to orders placed before 12pm Monday to Friday, but delivery varies by location, so allow extra for regional areas and check carrier dates with your carrier.