Pantry inspiration

Piles of old newspapers, a limp sack of potatoes on the floor, empty jars of bread spread, old kitchen appliances not in use any more – does that sound familiar? If it does, your pantry seriously needs a makeover.

Pantries come in all shapes and sizes. Organisation matters a lot if you have to make the most of your pantry arrangement. How do you go about it?

Motivation: If you have been procrastinating the task for a while, this is the time to tackle the issue head-on. Clean the pantry shelves by wiping each with a damp cloth. Throw out anything that is past its use-by date. Allow them to dry before you place anything else. If need be, buy more containers for a better organisation.

Declutter: The first step is to declutter the pantry. Once it is clutter-free, it is easier to start arranging. Take stock of what is there and decide which ones you need and which ones are unnecessarily taking up space for more important foodstuffs.

Arrangement: For easy access and space-saving, arrange your items properly. Restock it in an orderly manner so that you don’t have to do another overhaul in a short while. Separate items into different categories: Those that you use every day, those that you use less frequently, etc. Alternatively, put items like flour, sugar, rice, etc in one section, spices in another, and breakfast items like margarine jam etc in another.

For those with small children, have a snack zone so that your kids can easily access what they need. Heavy items and glass items should be placed on the bottom shelf, while the things you use every day should be at eye level. Label the shelves for ease when looking for items. Arrange ingredients on shelves in such a way that the taller ones are in the back and shorter ones in the front. Perishables: Onions, garlic, potatoes, tomatoes and fruits should be removed from plastic bags and stored separately. Get a beautiful lined basket or trolley to store them.

Containers: Store dried goods like green grams and beans in clear plastic containers or glass jars that can be labelled. Baskets will also help you gather everything up, especially the children’s snacks. Label them appropriately. Use many baskets - with different coloured labels so that it is easy to recognise them.

Add style: The role of the pantry could be functional, but having it looking beautiful will motivate you to keep it permanently organised. Have the walls painted in a cheery colour or put a kitchen-themed wall paper.

If your pantry space allows, install a chandelier. If you can visually see most of the food in the pantry at once, then you have organised your pantry well.