A pantry becomes the newest kitchen must-have as households use it as an ‘appliance garage’ for a range of cooking gadgets

A pantry becomes the newest kitchen must-have as households use it as an ‘appliance garage’ for a range of cooking gadgets Research shows 21 per cent of people say a pantry is a desirable kitchen feature Report found many see the kitchen as a place where they can socialise and cook By Daily Mail Reporter Published: 00:48, 2 August 2023 | Updated: 01:33, 2 August 2023 e-mail 9 shares 71 View comments A surge in modern cooking gadgets and gizmos has been credited with the revival of the pantry. Research shows 21 per cent of people insist it is one of the ‘most desirable’ features of a kitchen today, wanting to use it as an ‘appliance garage’ for air fryers, multi-cookers and coffee machines. The word ‘pantry’ is derived from the French word ‘pain’ for bread, after food and supplies were stored in specific rooms from medieval times.

But the BBC ‘s social history expert Deborah Sugg Ryan, professor of design history at University of Portsmouth, said the modern-day pantry or larder can be dated back a century. She explained: ‘The desire for a servant-less, labour-saving, efficient home 100 years ago led to new designs for furniture, such as the freestanding kitchen cabinet. Research shows 21 per cent of people insist a pantry one of the ‘most desirable’ features of a kitchen today, wanting to use it as an ‘appliance garage’ for air fryers, multi-cookers and coffee machines ‘They became popular across the social spectrum, and by the mid-1920s, most British furniture retailers sold at least one style of kitchen cabinet.

Some were made of oak, others painted pine, aluminium or steel, and they took the form of a single free-standing cupboard with multiple doors and drawers, and a pull-out work surface. ‘And like the latest 2023 trend revealed in the sales data, these were organised into compartments to allow for the storage of food and equipment. ‘ Professor Ryan added: ‘Pre-World War Two, these kitchen appliances would have included a flour sifter, flour bin, metal-lined bread drawer, rolling pin, a bin for sugar and storage jars – quite a comparison to the air fryers, multi-cookers and coffee machines of the 2020s.

‘ The report, commissioned by home improvement retailer Wickes, also found the way people use the kitchen is changing, with many now seeing it as a place in which they can socialise as well as cook. It also found that colourful kitchens are in demand – with blues and forest greens among the most popular options. When asked to describe their preferred kitchen style, 17 per cent of people said ‘farmhouse’ followed by ‘vintage’ (14 per cent), ‘rustic’ (13 per cent) and ‘industrial’ (8 per cent).

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