Stuck between a cocktail cabinet and a pantry? Interior enthusiasts are in luck, as there is a new hybrid in town and a place to store your 'chicken wine'.
The term 'bantry' has been dubbed one of the season's hottest trends. If you have ambitions of elevating your minimal kitchen space, it could serve as the perfect solution.
Despite the deceiving name, the term has nothing to do with the harbour town in West Cork of the same name.
A bantry is a socials-led hybrid name for a bar cum pantry. It follows the blowing up of the Japandi interiors trend, a fusion of Japanese and Scandinavian styles, and the return to a neutral colour, griege, which is a slightly off-beat blend of grey and beige and has its origins in the French word grège, which means raw or unfinished.
When it comes to the kitchen, we generally want to balance fun with function, and a bantry does just that.
Traditionally, a pantry was used as a climatically cool and practical space for food storage, while drinks and glassware were stored separately. The new invention marries the two.
The part storage solution, part entertaining station crossblend is sure to impress guests.
Ranging from a walk-in space to a simple cupboard, a bantry generally includes a drinks fridge, a wine display, and a coffee station.
It usually includes certain display aspects, some of which might be illuminated, while traditional pantry items remain hidden behind cupboard doors. A service hatch lives somewhere in the space, inviting guests to open it and pour themselves a drink.
Generally, the hidden presses store the less visually-appealing items like clunky appliances and snacks.
Swankier variations boast a second sink to keep the cooking mess tucked away from the main kitchen space.
People have been having fun with their designs, adding a splash of colour to what is generally considered the most practical room in the house.
You can dive right in with a bright feature wall or pattern-happy prints. The world is your oyster!
Newcastle Design, Rhatigan & Hick, and UK-based DeVol Kitchens have all created this new hybrid space for clients.
In terms of wine to stock your bantry with, you don't have to drain your bank balance. The summer's trendiest and most quaffable rosé will set you back around €12,
La Vieille Ferme Rosé wine is otherwise known as 'chicken wine' thanks to an illustration of the bird on the label. The drink is praised for its light, fruity taste.
'Chicken wine' is available from stockists including Tesco, Dunnes Stores, and independent wine retailers. It's also available to buy in cans. Sounds like the perfect addition to a bantry!
