The Pantry

[Piemaster]

"STORE IN A COOL DARK PLACE"
Does anyone, and I'll assume it will be in an older house here, still have one? Living in a newish (15 years old) house we don't so some food gets put in the fridge were really a pantry would be adequately cool. Perhaps it's why there seems to be the trend for massive American style fridges.
Just seems sort of odd that we have to refrigerate a box to keep food fresh because it's in a centrally heated place all the time, when the present weather temperatures could keep perishables quite cool enough.

 

[Archie_tect]

Yup, daft isn't it!
We used to have a pantry under the stairs off the kitchen with a high and low level airbrick with flymesh through the outside wall- new houses built up to the early 60s would usually have had one until fridges became more common.
My uncle's old farmhouse had a fantastic one partially buried on the north side of the house with slate shelves supported on stone piers.
My granny's terraced pit house had a cellar with stone flags and a coal chute to the back lane for the free coal deliveries from the pit, very practical!

 

[Beebo]

My parents have a fantastic walk in pantry in their 1930's "executive" house.
Most people would have knocked this out years ago to create more space.

 

[green1]

My parents have one in their 8 year old house.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Our house was built 1882 and we use the cupboard under the stairs as a pantry, homewine maturing thingy.

 

[snorri]

Just seems sort of odd that we have to refrigerate a box to keep food fresh because it's in a centrally heated place all the time, when the present weather temperatures could keep perishables quite cool enough.

Is it not just convenience? We like the convenience and nowadays can afford to pay for it.
It is much easier to open the fridge door in the kitchen than go outside to the white wooden cabinet with the perforated zinc sides situated on the north facing side of the house when we want some milk, eggs or meat.
Easier to keep clean too!

 

[ASC1951]

My 1820s house has a pantry. There is also a fair sized cellar, still with a massive slate slab. Mind you, if I want to keep something cold, anywhere upstairs will do.

 

[Fnaar]

I thought it was a place where you keep your pants.

 

[tyred]

I thought it was a place where you keep your pants.

And what do you keep in your scullery?

 

[Fnaar]

And what do you keep in your scullery?

Scullers

 

[vernon]

And what do you keep in your scullery?

Single and double sculls.

 

[tony111]

I thought it was a place where you keep your pants.

You're thinking of a pant -tree.

 

[biggs682]

I thought it was a place where you keep your pants.

surely that would be a knickertry

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I thought it was a place where you keep your pants.

How often do you take your underwear off in the vestry though?

 

[Piemaster]

Is it not just convenience? We like the convenience and nowadays can afford to pay for it.
It is much easier to open the fridge door in the kitchen than go outside to the white wooden cabinet with the perforated zinc sides situated on the north facing side of the house when we want some milk, eggs or meat.
Easier to keep clean too!

Yup, convenience would probably sum it up. Fitted kitchens must be a factor in their dying out as well. I was more thinking of a cold cupboard - a walk in type rather than your woodedn box. An insulated door to the kitchen and no reason it couldn't be fitted out something like a fridge interior either.
Do you really need to refrigerate eggs? I don't and neither does Morrisons, ASDA, et al.