5 reasons we love a walk in pantry

We do love a walk in pantry at HM and if you have the space available they are a brilliant addition to the modern day kitchen. Historically, the pantry (from the latin “panna” meaning bread) was originally a small room dedicated exclusively to the storage of bread and bakery items, however, by the mid-nineteenth century it had become a space for the general storage of dry goods.

English country houses would have a kitchen, scullery, larder, pantry, storeroom, coal room, housekeeper’s room and several large miscellaneous cupboards incorporated into the design and these were considered the absolute bare minimum. Larger houses had an almost bewildering array of other ancillary rooms including a gun room, lamp room, still room, pastry room, butler’s pantry, fish store, bakehouse, game larder, brewery, knife room, brush room, shoe room. A large country house in Wales even had a room dedicated to ironing newspapers while others could include a spicery, buttery, poultery or even a ewery – a room used exclusively for the storage of water jugs.

Originally a cold, dark room that was purely utilitarian – the main purpose of the pantry was to allow easy access to dry goods – this was a room that was never seen and therefore never warranted any special attention.

Today things are thankfully much simpler with open plan kitchen and dining spaces for the whole family to enjoy together. In order to keep the main kitchen area uncluttered, it’s necessary to incorporate storage into other areas – cue the modern pantry.

Here are 5 reasons we love a walk in pantry:

1. Centralise all the dry food storage in one place

Without a doubt, the number one reason to include a walk in pantry is zoning – a space dedicated to dry goods storage means you only ever have to visit one location, no more rooting through cupboards or drawers trying to find that elusive key ingredient. It just makes life easier.

2. It takes the pressure off the main kitchen

By removing all the dry goods from the main kitchen, you free up an inordinate amount of space that can be used for other things such as kitchen equipment, tableware, glassware – anything really. With a move away from formal dining, it makes sense to keep as much crockery to hand in the kitchen space as possible.

3. Additional countertop space

At busy times of the year when you’re entertaining friends and family, having an extra run of countertop space can be invaluable. Cakes and sweet treats can be easily kept out of the way until needed.

4.  Open under-counter storage

With plenty of storage space under the countertop, the walk in pantry provides versatility in terms of what can be stored – things like wine cases, vases and hampers all take up a lot of space and can be heavy to manoeuvre so keeping them at a lower level makes sense from a practical point of view.

5. Artisan shelves that go as high as the ceiling

Our classic artisan shelves can be installed according to the height of the room which is great for maximising the storage space available. Every walk in HM pantry has a rail that runs along the length of the countertop which is for the mini ladder so the top shelf can be easily reached, and is also a great spot for keeping tea towels.