13 steps to the perfect pantry
The word pantry conjures up a vision of domestic idyll; ordered rows of preserves, carefully labelled cupboard essentials and generous shelf space for cooking paraphernalia. But it’s not just nostalgia that’s driving the return to favour of pantries and larder cupboards.
The rise of the home chef and baker, our weekly shopping habits, plus the trend towards low-level kitchens with few wall cupboards all contribute to the very modern need for a generous central store. And contemporary pantries; in all their guises and formats; are finding a place in country, classic and uber-modern kitchens. Here are some key points to consider when choosing the right larder or pantry for you:
Make sure your underfloor heating does not extend into your walk-in pantry you want the room to be as cool as possible.
Measure the height of the container of your favourite cereal or bottle of olive oil to ensure that items will fit and leave the correct amount of spacing between shelves.
Pocket doors that glide away into recesses at the sides of a cupboard or sliding doors are a good solution if space is tight.
Invest in storage jars in decent sizes and a labelling system to help keep track of use by dates on dry ingredients and the contents of preserves.
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Opt for a country-style colour scheme
Paint the pantry in cool blues and butterchurn yellows for an authentic country feel. Team with ditsy floral linens to pretty up the look.
Dulux has a wide range of blue and yellow paints. Visit Cath Kidston for floral fabric.
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Choose a classic cupboard
A larder cupboard provides the ideal storage solution for dry food essentials, as well as crockery and linens. Make room for one in your kitchen if you don?t have a separate pantry.
John Lewis of Hungerford have a beautiful selection of country-style larder cupboards. Fill with rustic storage jars from Decorative Country Living.
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Go for a marble worksurface
Stone stays beautifully cool ? perfect for making batter and rolling out pastry on baking day.
We love the pretty beaded linens used to cover the jugs. Find them at Divertimenti for a lovely finishing touch.
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Put up a window screen
Add a blind so you can darken the room when you are storing produce such as potatoes. A gauze fly screen will also filter light ? hang at a window so you can let in fresh air while keeping out flies and wasps.
Find a gingham blind at Prêt à Vivre and a fly screen at Anna French.
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Keep cheese fresh
Cheese should be stored and served at a cool room temperature so invest in a cheese safe where your cheeses can breathe and ripen.
Get a cheese safe at Country Cream and team with a stylish glass dome from Maxwell & Williams. We love this wooden bark serving board from Jme.
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Cover jars in pretty fabric
When you've finished making jams and pickles from your summer glut, just add decorative lids and pretty labels to create special gifts for friends.
Find gingham fabric at Prêt à Vivre and French-style striped fabric at Vanessa Arbuthnott. Label up your jars with zinc leaf tags from WhippetGrey.
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Store your vegetables wisely
Choose a sturdy sack for storing potatoes, other root veg and onions. Keep in a cool, dark spot ? a north-facing room is ideal as it stays cool in the summer. Store produce in wooden racks, hessian sacks and paper bags ? they allow air to circulate and keep the food fresher for longer.
Find storage bags at Plümo. Garden Trading has a great range of country storage buys from this rustic vegetable rack to mini compost buckets.
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Create an apple store
Keep your apple harvest in a traditional rack where circulating air will help keep it in peak condition. Line the shelves with newspaper before filling.
Visit Burford for a traditional apple storage rack. Cover the top with an oilcloth from Cath Kidston and accessorise with herb pots from Divertimenti.
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Build a dedicated larder cupboard
If you don't have room for a walk-in pantry, it's worth finding the space for a dedicated larder cupboard within your kitchen cabinetry. Depending on space, you might have a standard-width cupboard integrated into a run of tall units, or a freestanding design with a set of double doors opening to shelves with drawers below, including fittings to suit you.
This solid bleached-walnut larder cupboard by Teddy Edwards has full-depth drawers, step shelving for quick access, and packet racks inside the doors. Kitchens from £38,000.
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Choose mixed shelving
Shallower shelves above deeper ones, positioned at different heights, allow you to store, see and reach different things with ease.
The bulthaup b3 larder unit in clay laminate features different-height drawers and shelves for easy access. Kitchen prices from £45,000, Kitchen Architecture
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Go walk-in
'A walk-in pantry allows you to arrange favourite ingredients at eye-level, grouped according to the dishes you like to make,' says Darren Contractor, designer at Forza. 'For example, Asian spices, oils and noodles in one section, ingredients for Mexican dishes in anotehr area, and a section for baking.'
This walk-in pantry by Chamber Furniture is a bespoke design in elm, featuring clean lines and a granite cold shelf. Kitchen prices from £40,000.
