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Poll: Are butler's pantries a good idea?

While everyone loves open plan kitchens, in recent years butler's pantries have been growing in popularity.

Butler’s pantries are not only a place to store food, they also serve as an additional workspace, with extra benchspace to prepare food, store appliances. Many even have dishwashers, fridges and sinks.

Some people love the fact that their butler's pantry can help keep their kitchen pristine and clutter-free, especially when entertaining guests. But others hate the idea of working in a cupboard.

Let us know what you think by participating in our latest poll and replying to the discussion below. You can add your vote on the Workshop front page.

Jason

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Comments

Isobel

No thanks. It seems silly to have two kitchens - it would add significant expense that could be better used elsewhere. And I wouldn't want to be locked away from everyone else. What makes open plan kitchens so lovely is that you can be cooking but still interacting with friends and family.

aly

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/1773#Comment_1773

I agree with Isobel. I've always looked at butler's pantries on renovation shows and wondered just how much people actually use them. To me they just don't seem worth it. I'd rather an open kitchen and huge pantry.

Andy_Mann

@Jason, having guests sipping champagne & dressed to the 9s, while I'm wearing an apron, & making a mess of the kitchen (which is what happens in real kitchens), doesn't seem like the epitome of hosting to me.

In the time poor era that we live in now, I would've thought that the Butler's Pantry would be a Godsend.

I'm picturing an entertainer planning their day around family, readying the home for the big event, prepping the food, synchronising cooking times, ensuring that the family'll be presentable in time, & cutting it fine for themselves to be ready. I think it'd be awesome having your iPhone alert you when the meal's cooked while guests are present, then walikng through the handsfree, self closing door, retrieving the feast from the oven, & again passing through the door that self-shuts behind you. OK, so where are you going to put it? On the open area island bench, ready to portion it out with dignity, & for all to salivate.

Oh, I nearly forgot, the working kitchen can be cleaned the next day, rather than chewing into the already busy schedule of the day.

Maybe I've seen too much pretence on the Grand Design series, there's one that still haunts me. She had 4 matching Miele wall ovens, because she adored symmetry, but her chandelier extraction fan had me close to kicking the TV screen.

Suja

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/1774#Comment_1774

I agree with @Andy_Mann. We're thinking of renovating our kitchen and working on adding a butler's pantry. It's something that I've always (since I found out such a thing existed) wanted.

I think it's a brilliant way to add extra bench space, and store appliances and perfect for hiding away clutter when entertaining.

The challenge for us has been to find enough space for it. So we've decided to have a combined laundry + butler's pantry!! As far as I'm concerned it's going to be a butler's pantry with the washing machine and the dryer tucked under the workbench.

Andy_Mann

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/63174#Comment_63174

Well done @Suja, including a washing machine in the Butler's Pantry is a brilliant idea. Water supply & drainge are already available, so are electrics, so it's just a matter of tapping into them, rather that having to pay professionals for expensive service runs.

What gets me with trendy kitchens, is that it's the buzz to have top of the range appliances to show off, like Kitchen Aid mixers, Thermomixs, & inbuilt Gaggenau fridges, but then they pay exorbitant prices for custom/discreet cabinetry, to hide them. 😝

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/63174#Comment_63174

Good thinking @Suja.

We certainly don't regret removing our laundry as part of our renovation and reclaiming the space. Just make sure you get a nice quiet washing machine!

You can see pictures in this discussion of what we did.

Jason

While butler's pantries are growing in popularity, the Workshop community is split as to whether they are a good idea.

Just over half of community members thought that separate butler's pantries are a good idea for creating extra space and hiding mess and clutter, while 44 per cent said it wasn't for them.

Many thanks for participating in the poll. Please keep the discussion going by replying below.

Jason

Isobel

The "experts" agree with me!

https://www.domain.com.au/advice/the-verdict-is-in-these-popular-design-trends-have-an-expiry-date-20170405-gv9p9l/

TheFoxSays

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/2881#Comment_2881

In my recent build, I have a walk in pantry (what was called a 'Butlers Pantry') however it is just shelves on either side of the room. I love to cook, so I wanted a pantry that had plenty of space to keep all my Tupperware and perhaps include a small bar fridge for alcoholic beverages instead of in the main fridge.

It never appealed to me to have a sink in there for washing dishes and I probably would never prepare food in there. However I would prefer a bench with cupboard above and below instead of what was built in. We might change it around in future to do this, but for now I'm happy with the shelves.

Isobel

"Prep kitchens" are discussed in this article as one of the architecture trends for 2018. https://www.domain.com.au/living/what-australian-homes-will-soon-look-like-architecture-trends-for-2018-20180205-h0qyhw/

"For those with the space, these rooms offer an easy way for homeowners to entertain guests or family around the kitchen without having to worry about mess or clutter. It also enables the “on display” kitchen area to be more minimal in its design."

I still don't like the idea of working in what would feel like a wardrobe...

WallsendWoman

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/1773#Comment_1773

There is so many definitions of a butler's pantry..

I think you might mean a ., butlers kitchen, something different again.

it's a bit bigger than the servery, but there is no cookery involved.. It might however deal with the hot and cold drinks also.

I am familiar with as the servery .. Often a galley shaped separate room that the food came into to 1 long bench from the cooks kitchen and out of, to a different long bench on the opposite wall, heading to the scullery. For scraping for the Piggery or somewhere else, and for washing

I think this is a great idea in homes that can afford this space even though this face was normally only about 2 metres wide and as necessarily long, sometimes the length of the wall of the dining room on the other side. this is unless the servery had a separate section which may have led to any of the other domestic offices of a grandhome. Such as a pantry, larder, dairy room ( pre refrigeration milk cheese butter storage away from wet areas, working areas.. Etc.

The modern day kitchen of a servery though could include a small dishwasher for immediate use such as catering staff may need to wash glasses to re serve the table, and might have a small refrigerator to replace a whole room dedicated for immediate dairy supplies for the table and the chilled drinks for the table.

I think these days anything-goes. In days of old a century or more than even memes became confused and sometimes rooms blended either for economy or whether it was a rural property or a town property and the amount of staff you engaged and the size of household.

These days it's more to do with economy whether you can afford that build it for the staff have to do it yourself.. Etc

still in a modern day home I see it very practical even if the parent is the cooked in another room and the kids are doing the dishes in the servery.

I do think that the cooking area of a chosen range of '' domestic offices' needs a window which we now use the word servery to pass the food through. In modern times people think of the servery window as the people from the table going to get the food, rather than that middle section for the mess in between.

Maybe in the modern home this room it could be even larger to cater for all of the dishwashing and food service but none of the genuine cookery.... Which can be done in a completely separate room with that servery window connecting it, now that most homes would not consider a scullery as well unless of course they are the grandest largest homes

The term butler's pantry to me was always nearly a small suite, not far from the domestic range of officers but it was an area where the silver and lead crystal, and valuable goods once regarded like tea, were kept. He had his own quartersi in this small area and, lock and key for the valuables sleeping in a separate corner and an office table for the staff planning diary and household operation costs and staff financing duties. I feel those days are gone In most places.

But generally speaking depends on the character of the house and the entertaining or the size of the population or the budget I do believe that a separate, area even hidden behind a partition at least can separate the dining facilities from the cooking facilities and serve as the invisible Messy area for food in and out ......

Sorry if that jumped about, but my screen disappears every couple of lines

Aussie-Garden

We love the idea as it suits our needs.

Our original house plans had a very, very large walk in pantry that comes off the kitchen and had shelving on 4 walls.

We have 6 kids ranging from primary school age to young adult, so we did the following at build stage...

Put on a wooden door with frosted glass inset.
Removed one wall of shelves and and upright fridge/freezer garbage bin and recycling bin sit against it.
Removed another wall of shelves and had a bench put in with an extra large sink for washing big baking trays, big pots etc and had a splashback put in and a narrow window put in above at the whole length it to look out to the back yard and forest.
Had a shelf put in above head height over that bench.
Had extra power points put in and an exhaust fan for burnt toast.

We then put the dishwasher under that bench and drawers for kids lunch boxes, their own individually coloured plates, bowls, cups etc.

Kettle, toaster and sandwich press and condiments shelf at one end of the bench.

Reason for all this is that the room was huge to fit it all easily and that's where we all go to make toast, cereal, tea, Milo, snacks etc and the kids can be messy, so it's out of sight til someone cleans it up.

Also being a big family, we use large baking trays and pots often, so it's great dropping them into a deep, wide sink and giving them a good scrub.

There's still 2 full walls of shelving, so it does like a bit like a supermarket on that side as we like to stay stocked up in case of emergency.

Not for everyone, but we absolutely love it and it's very functional for this tribe.

Bomosoto

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/63174#Comment_63174

Hi @Suja,

I want to combine laundry and butlers pantry also. Any tips, photos plz..

Lou

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/95818#Comment_95818

Hi @Bomosoto,

Many thanks for joining in the discussion on Workshop. I hope Suja is able to assist, but I would recommend you hit the Start a discussion button and share some photos of your home and some more detail about your plans. Please provide as much information as possible so members can provide specific and helpful advice. We are happy to help!

Welcome to the community,

Jason

jose29

We have a butler’s pantry, with a sink and our dishwasher. If I could turn back time, I would have definately not put our dishwasher in there! Now I am just double handling a lot of the time because we also have a sink in the kitchen So that’s where our dishes are sometimes put after rinsing, and then I come along and move it to the butler’s pantry where the dishwasher is 🙄 Regarding butler’s pantries in general, they’re ok to have but I don’t see the greatness in having one 🙂

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/7972#Comment_7972

Many thanks for joining in the discussion and sharing your experiences @jose29. We look forward to reading more of your posts soon. Please don't hesitate to post anytime you need a hand with a project anywhere around the house and garden. We have loads of helpful, clever and creative members sharing advice and inspiration on the site every day.

Welcome,

Jason

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