Historically, sculleries were associated with Victorian homes or English manors when a kitchen was not to be seen—like Downton Abbey. Of course, back then, wealthy homeowners had scullery maids, kitchen staff, butlers, and other servants who manned the hidden scullery, butler’s pantry, and cleaning supplies.
- A scullery is generally an additional small kitchen, a second kitchen, used for the dirty work of cleaning and storing dishes.
- A scullery kitchen provides more workspace and, today, may also conceal messy cooking and cleaning activities from the main kitchen.
- The basic elements of a scullery must include plenty of storage space, counter space, and a sink. .
What is the difference between a prep kitchen, a butler’s pantry and a scullery?
- A prep kitchen is an additional kitchen space adjacent to the main kitchen. It would have a great deal of counter space and a prep sink for washing vegetables and fruits.
- A butler’s pantry is primarily for storing dinnerware, silverware, linens, crystal, and china. Today, butler’s pantries often have cabinets, a sink that can be used as a wet bar or extra food prep area close to the dining room.
- A scullery is technically more for cleaning and storing than for prep work. But the functionality of the two is often blurred depending on what people need from the space today.
Sometimes the terms are now used interchangeably
