One might imagine that in days gone by a buttery was a place where butter was churned – a dairy. But it was not. It was a pantry, next to the kitchen, a storeroom for liquor from which wine was dispensed.
The name derived from the Latin and French words for bottle or, to put the word into its simpler form a butt, that is, a cask.
“The Buttery” is also found as a shop name deriving from the term for a teashop where students in British universities could purchase light meals.
Who knew? I have a pantr...I mean a buttery, in my kitchen. Not too much in the way of liquor in there though.
ReplyDeleteA buttery it will be from this day forward.