The real value of adding a pantry to your home

When we started to investigate the popularity of pantries, we found in a nationally representative poll of 1084 respondents, 48% of the UK either have or would like to have a pantry in their home (14% of UK have a pantry in their home and 34% wish they had a pantry in their home). Northern Ireland has the highest percentage of pantry owners in the UK (20%).

Extending the shelf life of food in the home is more important than ever. With the rising cost of groceries, it’s no wonder people are looking for pantries to reduce food wastage and save money. It’s great to see people bringing pantries back into the modern home to help address the rising cost of living and tackle food wastage. As a result, we are keen to show people there is a pantry solution to suit all spaces and budgets.

With over 160 years of pickling and glass jar heritage to our name, we were keen to find out why pantries are peaking in popularity and uncover the real value behind adding a pantry to your home. Speaking to pantry owners in the UK, they revealed that pantry ownership has helped them to:

·        Reduce food wastage (24%)

·        Prevent unnecessary purchases (41%)

·        Save money on food bills (19%)

·        Improved tidiness of kitchen organisation (70%)

·        Reduce plastic wastage (15%)

With all these benefits, it’s no surprise that 28% of people would be more likely to purchase a property with a pantry and 14% of people find property with a pantry more appealing than property with a utility.

·        28% of people would be more likely to purchase a property with a pantry

·        14% of people find property with a pantry more appealing than property with a utility

·        10% of respondents believed adding a pantry to a home increases property value

Collaborating with property valuation experts, Mortgageable, we were able to calculate the value a pantry adds to the average home. At the time of calculation, the experts estimate a pantry room conversion can add 5% value to a property – on average this equates to £14,150.

This figure is based on the value after adding an estimated added value of £6,000 but deducting the estimated average cost of works, approximately £10,000. The calculation was based on the average UK house price in August 2022 of £283,000 and converting an existing space rather than extending a floor plan.

Louisa Eggleston at Humphrey Munson said adding a walk-in pantry to a home definitely adds value and is a huge hit with buyers. Full walk-in pantry rooms start at £15,000 + VAT.

For those people who did not own a pantry, the biggest factors holding them back were the cost of installation (16%) and lack of space to install a pantry (52%).

But Louisa suggests there are many alternatives to building a pantry space to suit all budgets and spaces, from converting understairs cupboards to installing slimline floor to ceiling pantry cabinets for a fraction of the cost of a walk-in pantry.

As most UK homes lack space to install a walk-in pantry, converting an understairs cupboard is a great option. If you’re planning to do it yourself, you’ll firstly need to plan how to utilize this small space to your advantage. It needs to be functional and easily accessible.

Installing shelves to walls will give you the most space. Understairs cupboards are often angled with sloping walls, so you’ll want to measure before buying. Ikea have lots of wide, different sized shelves, that will easily fit jars and other pantry goods on them. They’re also one of the more affordable options if you’re trying to keep costs low.

Pantry storage baskets are ideal for small pantry items like fruit and vegetables that don’t require a jar to be stored. Many high street retailers sell wired or wicker baskets in different sizes, suitable for all pantry goods.

You’ll often see free standing pantry cupboards in the ever-popular “modern cottage” homes. Influencers and celebrities like Stacy Solomon and Mrs Hinch have swapped city living for the country life and recently bought farmhouses and cottages in the countryside. Living the new “English country grandmother” aesthetic of slower living in greener spaces.

Free standing pantry cupboards are great if you’ve got the space and it fits your décor. However, if you’ve not got room for this piece of furniture, there’s options like installing a pantry cupboard, tall or short depending on the size of your kitchen. Most DIY stores like B&Q sell these cabinets. Pull out pantry cupboards are easily accessible and relatively affordable to purchase.

Regardless of the pantry option you choose, you can still benefit from reducing food wastage, saving money, and adding value to your home.

You'll need to organise your pantry that's practical and functional for you!

Take everything out

Start by taking everything out and throwing away anything that’s out of date. Make a shopping list of things you want to replace.

Sort into categories

Sort your food into categories so it makes it easier to find and grab. Group together baking goods, pastas, cereals, spices, lunch snacks etc.

Prepare your jars

Next, prepare your jars. Give them a wash and dry ready to be filled with your pantry essentials. Our Kilner® Jars have an airtight seal so your food will stay fresher for longer – no soggy biscuits around here. Check our guide on finding the right jars if you’re unsure which ones to buy for your pantry.

Use additional storage

For foods that don’t need airtight jars, wicker baskets are a really good solution to keeping packeted items neatly stored away. They’re also easy to pull out and find what you’re looking for.

Set up for everyday use

When putting everything back into your pantry, place everything you grab for daily use in an easily accessible place and put items you don’t use every day further back.

Futureproof your pantry

Futureproof your pantry by favouring glass jars over plastic. Kilner® glass can be easily recycled even if it’s broken, whereas plastic is a lot harder to recycle.

Investing in a pantry makes it easier to shop sustainably. With the rise of refill stores in cities across the UK, it’s becoming easier than ever to take your bulk food bags or Kilner® Jars to refill your pantry. Big supermarkets like M&S, ASDA and Morrisons now feature refill stations at certain locations, where you can refill all your dried ingredients on your weekly shop. This process eliminates unnecessary plastic bags and packaging - a win-win situation for everyone! Find out more about refill stores and how they’re sustainable here.