Pantries have been used for food storage since medieval times, and they still have a place in many modern homes.
Victoria Beckham and Rochelle Humes are big fans, having shown off their pristine pantries on Instagram. Beckham displayed shelves of well-organised jars and bottles, while Humes captioned a picture of her immaculate shelves ‘Pantry joy’.
Dilly Carter, a professional organiser and TV presenter (dillycarter.co.uk), says a well-planned pantry makes it easier to see what to restock, and can help reduce food waste.
Here are her tips for the perfect pantry…
Create a pantry yourself
Many older houses have existing pantries, where food was stored to keep cool, and Carter says: “Around half the nation already have a pantry, while 68% say their dream home would include one.”
But if your home doesn’t have a pantry, it’s simple to create one yourself, she explains.
“It doesn’t have to be huge. I think people have this illusion that pantries are meant to be big, walk-in things, but it could just be a cupboard with three shelves.”
“Find your biggest kitchen cupboard, and think about how you could transform it. You could make it look beautiful by using shelf risers, stackable containers, and under-shelf hanging storage, to maximise space.
“Give each shelf a purpose. For example, one shelf for breakfast items, another for dry food, such as rice and pasta. Think about the things you use the most, and position them in easy-to-reach spots.”
Use clear containers
“If you take your store cupboard essentials out of packets and place into clear, labelled jars, you can see exactly what you have. This will reduce food waste by stopping you over-buying. Only restock once the jars are empty,” she says.
Use old jars
“You don’t have to spend a fortune on fancy storage – you can upcycle old containers, such as coffee jars or biscuit tins, to reduce waste,” Carter says.
Label everything
Remember to label all your containers, either with sticky labels, a marker pen, or simply use a bit of paper and sticky tape, suggests Carter.
Avoid single-use plastic
Research by Abel & Cole shows Brits buy more than 19 billion single-use plastic packets of groceries every year, and 54,000 tonnes of plastic end up in landfill. “That’s a huge amount,” says Carter. “It’s more than enough to cover the whole land area of Mongolia.
“If you use a refill shop to restock your store-cupboard essentials, they will fill up the container, so you’re not wasting any single-use plastic.”
Save money
“At a time when money is tight, this is when we really have to be aware of what we’re buying and over-buying,” she says.
“Many of us have food waste because items go out of date. That’s why it’s good to use clear containers and labels, so you can see what you have in, and exactly what needs using.”
She adds: “It’s lovely to see a beautiful pantry with lots of matching containers, but it’s not about what it looks like, it’s about how practical it is, and how much money it’s saving you.”
Dilly Carter is working with the online grocer Abel & Cole’s Club Zero refillable delivery service to launch a competition to find Britain’s Best Pantries. For details visit abelandcole.co.uk/bestpantry. Entries close on February 19.
