A 2kg to 2.5kg turkey crown fits a 350×450mm vacuum pouch, and a 3kg to 4kg crown fits a 400×500mm. Whole birds need much bigger pouches and a big machine. Before you order either, check one number: the length of your seal bar.
Turkey pouch sizes at a glance
Product dimensions are typical, not exact. Birds vary, so measure a couple of yours before you buy a box. Everything here is 65 micron clear film. Prices are ex VAT per bag.
| Cut |
Typical size (W × H) |
Pouch |
Per bag |
Needs a seal bar of |
| Turkey breast steaks, 2 pack |
130 × 30mm |
180×300mm |
2.4p |
200mm+ |
| Boned and rolled breast, 1kg to 1.5kg |
120 × 110mm |
250×350mm |
3.9p |
270mm+ |
| Turkey leg or thigh joint |
140 × 90mm |
250×300mm |
3.4p |
270mm+ |
| Crown, 2kg to 2.5kg |
200 × 140mm |
350×450mm |
7.1p |
370mm+ |
| Crown, 3kg to 4kg |
230 × 160mm |
400×500mm |
9.0p |
420mm+ |
| Small whole bird, 4kg |
270 × 180mm |
500×600mm |
13.7p |
520mm+ |
| Whole bird, 5kg |
300 × 200mm |
530×650mm |
15.5p |
550mm+ |
How do I work out the size myself?
Lay the crown on the bench, breast up. Measure across the widest point and from the bench to the top of the breast. Add the two together and add 10mm. That's your minimum pouch width, because the film has to wrap over the top of the bird as well as across it.
For length, add at least 40 to 50mm to the length of the bird so there's clean, dry film at the open end for the seal. A crown that's 280mm long wants a pouch at least 330mm long; the 450mm length of a 350×450 gives you room to spare, which you'll want with a product this tall.
Between two sizes? Take the wider one. Extra width just wraps a little further round the bird. The size guide explains why.
Why does the seal bar decide everything?
The open end of the pouch lies across the seal bar, and the pouch has to be at least 20mm narrower than the bar or the corners won't seal. So a machine with a 420mm bar, a common size on mid-range tabletop chamber machines, tops out at a 400mm wide pouch, which means crowns up to about 4kg. Whole turkeys need a 500mm or 530mm pouch, and that means a floor-standing machine with a bar of 520mm or more.
If your machine can't take a whole bird, don't fight it. Sell crowns and legs separately, or bone and roll. It packs better and it's what most customers want for a smaller Christmas anyway.
Stopping wing joints from puncturing the pouch
A crown has two hazards: the cut wing joints and the wishbone end of the breastbone. Under full vacuum both press into 65 micron film hard enough to go through, and you won't find out until the pack's gone loose in the fridge.
- Cover each wing joint and the neck end with a folded square of greaseproof paper or a bone guard.
- Slide the crown in breast side up, cavity end first.
- Set the vacuum to around 95% rather than full. The film still pulls tight and the points don't get forced through.
- Press the pack once it's out. If there's give anywhere, repack it now.
The bone-in guide goes through these methods in more depth. Our 130 micron pouch is too narrow for a crown, so the paper method is the one to use here.
Who this isn't for
If you're vacuum packing at home with an edge sealer, our pouches won't work. They're smooth film for chamber machines, and edge sealers need embossed bags. The compatibility page lists the machines that take them.
