Washable menus for restaurants, pubs, diners, bars and cafes ~ what they are, how they work, and whether they're right for your venue

SuperTuffMenus are printed menus built to be washed every day and used for years. Not laminated card. Not synthetic sheet with ink on the surface. A genuinely different construction, with print sealed inside the material and protected on both sides, so the menu survives daily cleaning without the print fading, chipping, or peeling.

  • 4 years

    Our record for a set still in daily use

  • 1 year

    No-quibble guarantee against peeling or going soggy

  • Since 2015

    Making SuperTuffMenus

The problem with every other type of menu

There are four types of menu most hospitality businesses end up with. Three of them have the same underlying problem, and it's the same problem SuperTuffMenus were designed to solve.

Laminated card A paper or card core with a thin film pressed over the surface, cut to the edge. The top wipes down well enough, but the film doesn't seal the edges, so the paper core is exposed. Edges absorb water. They go fluffy, soggy, dog-eared. The film eventually lifts. The surface is protected. The menu isn't.
Synthetic sheet menus Polypropylene-based materials sold under various brand names, the most common "waterproof menu" option on print websites and often the cheapest quick fix. They fold and stand like card, which is a genuine advantage. But the ink is printed on the surface, so it chips and scratches with regular cleaning. Unprinted areas pick up grease and dirt that won't scrub off without damaging the print alongside it. Serviceable for occasional use. Not built for daily cleaning.
Encapsulated menus The old-fashioned sealed-pocket menu, a sheet of paper inside a clear encapsulation with a visible border around the edge. They delaminate internally over time, or the sealed edge splits and moisture gets in. They deteriorate faster than laminated card and look worse doing it.
SuperTuffMenus Print sealed inside a synthetic core, with a clear protective layer on both sides. The ink is never on the surface, it's never exposed. Scrub it. Sanitise it. Run the Classic through a dishwasher. The print doesn't degrade because it genuinely can't be reached.

Spotted in Portugal, 2025. This is what daily use does to an encapsulated menu. If you care about your menu, you notice

Close-up of an encapsulated menu corner showing the clear border lifting and the surface scratched and cracked from regular use.
An encapsulated menu showing the clear laminate separating from the printed card underneath, with visible delamination along the edge.

How SuperTuffMenus are made

Most waterproof menus print directly onto the surface of a treated or synthetic material. The ink sits on top, exposed to every wipe, every sanitiser cloth, every busy service.

SuperTuffMenus work differently. The print is applied to a synthetic core, then given time to cure fully before being wrapped in clear protective layers on both sides. The curing stage matters, it's what makes the bond between print and material permanent. Rush it and things go wrong. We allow two weeks from artwork sign-off, every time, without exception.

The result is a menu where the ink is inside the material, not on it. Which is why you can scrub a SuperTuffMenu with a commercial cleaning product and the print looks exactly the same afterwards.

Both materials, Classic and Lite, go through the same cure and wrap process. Both have a smooth, matte finish. Clearly a quality synthetic material, with a finish that photographs well and feels right in the hand. We don't use gloss. Gloss scratches visibly and reflects light in a way that works against both photography and presentation.

Classic - almost as thick as a credit card

Rigid, smooth, matte.

  • Dishwasher safe
  • Scrub with any cloth or commercial sanitiser
  • Always supplied with 9mm rounded corners ~ the unrounded edge is genuinely sharp
  • Presented flat, in a holder, or as a table tent / table talker
  • Coil or ring bound for multi-page menus
  • Individual pages can be reprinted and replaced
  • Cut to custom shapes: pineapples, fans, face cut-outs, place mats
  • Survives 500+ covers a day

Doesn't fold or crease, springs back. Not suited to booklet formats. 4mm corner radius available on request.

Lite ~ paper-like, flexible

Fine dining friendly.

  • Same waterproof protection as Classic
  • Same matte, smooth finish
  • Behaves closer to paper, bends, folds, flaps
  • Booklet-bound, drilled, or presented in a folder
  • Ideal for wine lists, tabbed menus, fine dining
  • Works as a tray liner or place mat
  • Cut to custom shapes
  • Wipe clean nightly with sanitiser

Not dishwasher safe, too flexible for a machine cycle. Hand wash only. Won't stand upright like card.

More than just menus

The same material and the same cure and wrap process applies to everything we make. A few uses customers come back for again and again...

Table tents and table talkers

Classic makes an excellent table tent. Sit one in a puddle of wine, beer, or a soft drink for an entire service. Pick it up. Wipe it. It looks fine. Conventional card table talkers turn to mush. These don't.

Lite booklets

Wine lists, tasting menus, multi-page food menus. Tabbed, coil bound, or presented in a folder. Not yet on the website... ask us and we'll sort you out.

Place mats and tray liners

Classic for place mats. Lite for tray liners. Cut to any shape. Wipe clean between covers. No minimum on cut shapes.

Custom shapes

We've cut menus into pineapples, fans, and face cut-outs. If it can be cut, we can probably do it. Ask us.

Who SuperTuffMenus are for

SuperTuffMenus work best for owner-operators, the person running the business is the person who feels the problem. One venue or three. If you've ever picked a dirty, dog-eared menu off a table and thought "I need to sort this," this is the product for you.

Restaurants and diners

From casual to fine dining. Tabletop Classic or leather-folder Lite. Used by one of Scotland's largest independent restaurant groups.

Pubs, bars and clubs

High turnover, daily cleaning, menus that need to survive constant handling and the occasional dunking.

Cafes and canteens

No minimum order on single-sheet menus. Some customers order 30 at a time and have done for years.

Leisure and entertainment

Large format, tabbed, coil-bound menus for pool halls, sports venues, anywhere food and drink meets a tough environment.

Venues with changing menus

Classic pages can be reprinted individually. Update the sections that change. Keep the ones that don't.

Anywhere hygiene matters

A clean menu is a signal. Like an unchipped plate or a clean glass. Customers notice even when they don't say so.

What customers say

  • "We can go through 500-600 covers a day so they get used and used and used. We've never had to throw a SuperTuffMenu away. That's unheard of in hospitality."

    Nina Fraser, Oak Tree Inn, Balmaha, Loch Lomond

  • "I wipe them down every night with sanitiser. They're clean and I don't have to keep changing my menus. Best thing I've ever found."

    Chris, La Lanterna, Glasgow ~ two years and still going

  • "SuperTuffMenus ~ a simple name. It does what it says."

    Domenico Crolla, Oro Restaurant, Glasgow

  • "After a full year of daily use, washed in a dishwasher every single day, you'd be surprised how good they still look. It's really quite spectacular when you see them side by side."

    Bobsie and Angela, Rab Ha's and Babbity Bowsters, Glasgow
A stack of one-year-old SuperTuffMenu Classic menus from Rab Ha's Glasgow next to a fresh set from the same order. Used 362 days of the year, washed daily in a dishwasher. The difference is barely visible.

60 Rab Ha's menus. Used 362 days of the year. Washed every day in a dishwasher. The stack on the left is one year old. You'd be surprised which looks which.

Why we suggest you buy fewer menus

Most menu suppliers want you ordering often. We take the opposite position.

A SuperTuffMenu costs more upfront than a laminated card or a synthetic sheet menu. But a conventional menu gets replaced every few months. A SuperTuffMenu, looked after properly, lasts years. The economics are straightforward once you work them out, and the impression it makes on your customers every single service is harder to put a number on.

You wouldn't hand over a grubby plate. You wouldn't serve wine in a cracked glass. A worn-out menu sends exactly the same message. You just don't see it the way your customers do.

Order fewer. Replace less often. Hand every customer a clean menu.

Ordering, artwork and turnaround

Minimum orders vary by product...

  • Single sheet menus 10
  • Table tents / table talkers 25
  • Lite booklets 20
  • Complex or shaped orders Ask us

Standard turnaround is two weeks from artwork sign-off. Every SuperTuffMenu goes through a cure stage after printing before it can be wrapped. The ink needs to set fully, rush it and the finished product suffers. A menu that's going to last a year is worth two weeks of patience. Occasionally we can turn things around faster, depending on ink coverage and conditions... ask if you're in a hurry and we'll tell you honestly.

If supplying your own artwork:

  • Print-ready PDF to PDF/X standard
  • 3mm bleed with crop marks
  • CMYK colour profile
  • All fonts outlined, all images embedded
  • No spot colours or RGB

Not sure if your file is right? Send it anyway and we'll check. Or use our design service... send your content, your pricing, and some reference images showing the kind of look you're after. Instagram or Pinterest work well for this. We'll create a proof for your approval before anything goes to print.

Our guarantee

One year. No questions asked.

Every SuperTuffMenu is guaranteed not to peel or go soggy for a year. If it does, we replace it. No questions asked. Our record so far is four years of daily use, but the guarantee is one year and we stand behind it completely.

If your menu needs updating before the year is up, a price change, a seasonal update, an inflation reprint... ask us about loyalty pricing. We'd rather look after you than lose you.

Common questions

How long do SuperTuffMenus actually last?

In normal daily use, wiped down after service and stored flat, customers regularly get two to four years from a set. Our record is four years. The guarantee is one year, in practice they outlast it considerably.

What's the difference between Classic and Lite?

Classic is almost as thick as a credit card, rigid, smooth, matte finish, dishwasher safe. It doesn't fold or crease. Lite is much thinner and behaves closer to paper. It bends, folds, and can be booklet-bound or presented in a folder. Both have the same waterproof protection and the same matte finish. Lite is hand-wash only.

Can I get a custom shape?

Yes. Both Classic and Lite can be cut to shape. We've done pineapples, fans, face cut-outs, place mats, tray liners. No minimum order on cut shapes. Get in touch and tell us what you're thinking.

Can I use my own design?

Yes. Send a print-ready PDF to PDF/X standard, CMYK, 3mm bleed with crop marks, all fonts outlined and images embedded, no spot colours or RGB. Not sure if your file is right? Send it anyway and we'll check.

What if I need a design from scratch?

Our design service is available to buy on the website. Send us your content, your pricing, and some reference images. Instagram or Pinterest work well for this. We'll create a proof for your approval before anything goes to print.

What are the minimum order quantities?

Ten for single-sheet menus. Twenty-five for table tents and table talkers. Twenty for Lite booklets. Complex or shaped orders vary... ask us and we'll tell you straight away.

What cleaning products can I use?

Commercial sanitiser, hot soapy water, a damp cloth, all fine for both materials. Classic menus are dishwasher safe. Lite menus are hand-wash only.

Do you ship outside the UK?

Yes. Made in the UK, shipped worldwide. If UPS can get there, we can get your menus to you.

What if I need to update my menu before the year is up?

It happens, prices change, menus evolve. If you need to reprint before your year is up, ask us about loyalty pricing. We'd rather look after you than lose you.

About SuperTuffMenus

SuperTuffMenus was created by Philip Wilson, owner of Love & Humphries and a Hotel and Catering Management graduate (University of Surrey, 1993). Philip came to print via hospitality, which is why SuperTuffMenus exists at all. The product came out of a production project around 2015... the right materials, the right process, and a first customer who put his new menus through the dishwasher every night and came back to say they were the best he'd ever used. Ten years later, the same customers keep coming back.