A Deeper Look at the Pantry

Almost every kitchen has a pantry, no matter what size the kitchen is. It’s what you use to store many of the foods that you use on a regular basis. In fact, like many of us, you probably take your pantry for granted. However, the origin of the pantry is actually quite interesting.

The space used for food storage (the “pantry” as we know it today) was first used during Medieval times in England as a place to store meat, beer and other provisions. In the 17^th and 18^th centuries, colonialists in New England used small rooms off of the kitchen for food storage, known as the buttery. It wasn’t until the 1800s that the term pantry came about, which was derived from the Latin word, “panis”, meaning bread. It was during this time that the pantry became a space located between the kitchen and dining room that stored china and silver.

During the 1920s and 1930s the pantry was merged into the kitchen itself. However, during the advent of the refrigerator in the 1950s, the use of pantries dwindled. In the 1960s pantries made their appearance as floor to ceiling cabinets, which is what many of us recognize pantries to be now. Surprisingly enough, the use of the pantry is becoming more important in American homes these days. In fact, they’re beginning to go back to the pantries of yesteryear, with many pantries taking up space adjacent to the kitchen in the form of walk-in pantries. This allows for better use of space, storage and accessibility.

If you’re thinking about Atlanta home renovations, then consider a walk-in pantry for your kitchen. Be sure to visit Renewal Design-Build for any Atlanta home renovations that you need.