a pantry was the place to keep foodstocks that did not need to be kept refrigerated. remember, food was bought regularly in those days, and not stored for long. breads, butter, cheesecakes, eggs, pastries, and pies were kept in a cold. vegetables could be brought up from the cellar in smaller amounts and stored in the cold pantry until ready to use. the pantry was a place to store fresh berries and fruit, cheese, butter and such.