For most wedding and party favours, a 30ml to 42ml jar is a practical choice for a small tasting portion at a place setting, while 106ml to 130ml gives each guest a more generous jar to take home. Use a 50ml or 100ml bottle for spirits, oils or vinegars, choosing the bottle listed for that filling. Save 212ml for a larger table gift.

This guide takes you through each size using jars and bottles from our range, then covers lids, gift boxes and what to check before filling favours to give or sell.

What size favour jar should you choose?

Start with the filling and how much each guest will actually use, then choose the size. As a quick guide:

  • 30ml to 42ml: Place settings, tasters and a spoon of jam, honey or sweets.
  • 106ml to 110ml: A more generous single-portion jar, including hexagonal, Orcio, mustard and squat Elena shapes.
  • 130ml: A standard small gift jar, in the Bonta or square shape.
  • 212ml: A larger favour or a jar to share at the table.
  • 50ml and 100ml bottles: The 50ml Nocturne for spirits and cocktail samples, the 50ml Vecchia for oils and vinegars, and the 100ml Vecchia for spirits or infused oils.

If you are filling many favours, smaller sizes are easier to portion and less wasteful if a guest does not finish theirs. For jam and honey sold in larger retail sizes, see our guide to what size jam jars are best for selling.

Which mini jars suit place settings and tasters?

The smallest jars in the range work well for a neat portion at each place setting, or a tasting amount of jam, honey, spice or sweets. Both jars below come with a 43mm twist-off lid.

30ml and 42ml round jars

  • 30ml (1oz) round jam jar with 43mm twist-off lid: About 4cm high and 4cm across the base. The lid is available in black, silver or gold. Our catalogue lists preserves, honey, spices and tasting samples among its uses, as well as wedding favours.
  • 42ml jam jar with 43mm twist-off lid: About 5cm high and 4cm across the base, with a 42ml (1.5oz) capacity. The lid is available in black, white, silver or gold. Listed for jams, marmalades, chutneys, jellies and sauces, and for wedding favours and mixed gift boxes.

A gift box for five mini jars

  • 42ml mini jam presentation box for 5 jars: Holds five 42ml mini jam jars, with five display windows and a carry handle. Our catalogue lists it for presenting jams, honey and condiments, including mini selections, samples and small-format ranges.

Which jars work for a more generous favour?

For a more generous favour, 106ml to 130ml is the next step up from the mini sizes. It is still a single-guest gift, but with enough in the jar to take home and use. Shape becomes more of a design choice here, from a hexagonal jar to a squat Bonta or Elena jar.

106ml and 110ml jars

  • 106ml Orcio jam jar with 53mm twist-off lid: About 6.5cm high and 4cm across the base, with a 53mm twist-off lid in black, gold, silver or white. Listed for jams, preserves, chutneys, honey and spice blends, and for wedding favours.
  • 110ml hexagonal jam jar with 48mm twist-off lid: About 7.75cm high, with a base of around 5cm, and a 48mm twist-off lid in gold, silver, black or white. The six-sided shape is a distinctive option for jams, chutneys, sauces, preserves and samples.
  • 106ml (3.5oz) mustard jam jar with 48mm twist-off lid: About 7.8cm high and 4.6cm across the base, with a 48mm twist-off lid in gold, silver, black or white. Listed for mustards, jams and sweet treats, and for wedding favours.
  • 106ml Elena jam jar with deep twist-off lid: A wider, squatter jar at about 5.19cm high and 7.43cm across the base, with a total weight of 125g. It comes with a deep twist-off lid in black or gold. Listed for jams, chutneys, honey, sauces and tasting portions, and for wedding favours.

130ml Bonta and square jars

  • 130ml (4oz) Bonta jar with twist-off lid: About 6.2cm high and 6cm across the base. The twist-off lid is available in white, gold, silver, black, red, red gingham and blue gingham. Listed for samples, favours, preserves and spices.
  • 130ml (4oz) square food jam jar with 53mm twist-off lid: About 6.6cm high and 5.5cm across the base, with a 53mm twist-off lid in black, silver, white or gold. Listed for jams, jellies, chutneys, sauces, pickles and spices, and for wedding favours.

A gift box for three 130ml jars

When does a larger jar make sense?

A 212ml jar is large for a place-setting favour, but works well as a gift to share at the table, or when you want guests to leave with a more substantial jar of jam, honey or chutney.

  • 212ml Orcio jam jar with 63mm twist-off lid: About 8.25cm high and 5cm across the base, with a 63mm twist-off lid in black, silver, white, red, red gingham, blue gingham or gold. Listed for preserves, honey, chutneys and sauces, and for samples and small-batch ranges.

Which small bottles suit spirit, oil or vinegar favours?

If the favour is something you pour rather than spoon, a small bottle is the better shape. The 50ml Nocturne is a single-serve size for spirits and cocktail samples. The 50ml Vecchia with cork is listed for oils, vinegars, samples and wedding favours, while the 100ml Vecchia gives a little more for spirits, infused oils, samples and event favours.

50ml bottles

  • 50ml Nocturne spirit bottle with tamper-evident black screw cap: About 10.15cm high and 4.2cm in diameter, with a heavy base and a weight of about 100g. It comes with a black tamper-evident screw cap. Listed for single-serve spirits and cocktail samples, as well as miniatures, tasting kits and small-batch production.
  • 50ml Vecchia bottle with cork: About 8.9cm high and 4cm across the base. It comes complete with a snug-fitting cork. Listed for oils, vinegars and samples, and for wedding favours where a cork-closed bottle is required.

The 100ml Vecchia bottle

  • 100ml Vecchia bottle with cork: About 10.5cm high and 4.8cm across the base. It comes complete with a snug-fitting cork. Listed for spirits, infused oils, samples and event favours.

How should you choose lids and closures?

Most jars in this guide come with a twist-off lid, and several offer a choice of colours to match a wedding palette or product range. The colours listed above are the selectable options on each product page. The 50ml Nocturne bottle comes with a black tamper-evident screw cap, and both Vecchia bottles come complete with a snug-fitting cork.

If you need spare lids, or want to check which lid size goes with a jam or honey jar, see our guide to which lids go with jam, honey and pickle jars. Choose a closure that suits how the favour will be carried and opened, and check a filled sample before packing the rest.

What should you check before filling favours to give or sell?

A pretty jar is only half the job. The filling, the label and whether you are giving or selling the favours all matter. Follow a reputable recipe. The Food Standards Agency's advice on preserving food at home includes labelling and dating what you make, using suitable containers and following trusted instructions exactly.

Jams, honey and sweets

If you use a reserved description such as jam or marmalade when selling favours, UK compositional standards set minimum fruit and sugar rules, and the label must state the amount of fruit and sugar.

Honey has its own reserved descriptions, and the same guidance requires country of origin labelling. If the honey is a blend from more than one country, you can list each country or use a statement such as "blend of honeys from more than one country".

The NHS advises that honey should not be given to children under 12 months, because it can contain bacteria that cause infant botulism. If honey favours could be taken home to a family with a baby, make that clear on the label.

Sugared almonds and many other sweets contain one or more of the 14 allergens that food businesses must declare, including tree nuts. FSA allergen guidance sets out how to provide that information.

Oils, infusions and drinks

Flavoured oils need particular care. FSA guidance on botulism warns that canning or bottling herbs or garlic in oil can be risky at home, because it is difficult to achieve the level of control needed. The same page says preserving food at home is riskier than buying ready-made food, and that chilling below 5°C and using a reputable recipe helps reduce risk. Do not improvise the method.

If you fill bottles with a drink that is more than 1.2% alcohol by volume, UK food labelling rules require the alcoholic strength to appear on the label. For pre-packed food the same guidance also requires the name of the food, the net quantity, and the name and address of the food business, and you must still give allergen information.

A full ingredients list is not required for drinks over 1.2% ABV, and drinks of 10% ABV or more do not need a best-before or use-by date. Check the guidance, or ask your local trading standards office, if you are unsure.

If you are selling favours

If you sell food favours, or supply food regularly to the public, you must register as a food business with your local authority at least 28 days before you start trading. Food businesses also need food safety management procedures in place. For many small businesses, that is a HACCP-based system such as Safer Food, Better Business.

Even if you are only making favours for a private event, it is still wise to include allergen information and to label and date the jars. Check with your local authority if you are unsure whether you need to register.

Explore our wedding and party favour jars and bottles

You can browse many of the jars and bottles in this guide in our wedding and party favours range, and the presentation boxes in our gift boxes range. If you are unsure which size or lid will work for your filling, Anna at The Bottle Company South is happy to help on 0117 986 9667.