Proper hand hygiene does not end at the sink. The drying step matters just as much, and in a commercial food environment, that means single-use paper hand towels, not shared cloth towels that can harbour and transfer bacteria between uses.
Food Packaging Direct supplies paper hand towels, interfold towels, centrefeed rolls, and tissues to restaurants, hotels, care homes, schools, office washrooms, and food businesses across the UK. Our range is built for high-traffic environments where consistent hygiene standards are non-negotiable.
Research consistently shows that single-use paper hand towels are more hygienic than shared cloth or fabric alternatives. A used cloth towel accumulates bacteria with every use, and even laundered towels can harbour microorganisms if not dried and stored correctly. Paper hand towels eliminate this risk entirely, each person uses a fresh, uncontaminated sheet, then disposes of it. This is why the Food Standards Agency and most environmental health guidance recommends single-use hand drying in commercial food environments.
Different washroom setups call for different formats. The most common types used in catering and commercial settings are interfold hand towels, where each sheet pulls the next forward for easy one-at-a-time dispensing, and centrefeed rolls, which are popular in kitchen and food preparation areas for their versatility and larger capacity. Z-fold and C-fold options are also widely used in restaurant and hotel washroom dispensers.
Choosing the right format often comes down to which dispenser system you already have in place.
Food Packaging Direct makes bulk ordering of paper hand towels straightforward and competitive. We supply businesses of all sizes, from single-site restaurants to multi-location catering operations, and offer free delivery on orders over £100. Whether you need a standard pack of interfold towels or a larger regular supply, we have the right product at the right price.
Single-use paper hand towels are widely considered the most hygienic option. They eliminate cross-contamination risks associated with shared cloth towels and are strongly recommended in food handling environments by UK food hygiene guidance.
Interfold towels are interleaved so each sheet partially pulls out the next, allowing dispensing without touching multiple sheets. Z-fold towels fold in a zigzag pattern and sit in a dispenser stack. Centrefeed rolls are large rolls dispensed from the centre, commonly used in kitchen and industrial settings.
Yes. Many of our centrefeed rolls and paper towels are suitable for use in food preparation environments for surface wiping and general kitchen use, as well as in washroom handwash stations.
Most paper hand towels are compostable if they are not heavily contaminated with chemicals. Clean or lightly used paper hand towels are generally accepted in food waste or compostable waste streams in commercial settings, though this depends on your local waste management arrangements.
We stock a selection of hand towel dispensers alongside our paper towel range. Pairing the right dispenser with your towel format helps reduce waste and ensures your washroom setup works efficiently under daily demand.
A small to medium catering business might go through two to four packs of interfold towels per week depending on team size and handwash frequency. For high-footfall operations, centrefeed rolls in multi-pack cases tend to be the more cost-effective format to keep consistently stocked.
