Kitchen Unit, 2 With Metal Lined Cabinets ... For What?

[joko]

i have an old style kitchen unit - the sort that is freestanding that has a cupboard at the top, and flip down table surface, drawers and another cupboard at the bottom.
it looks like the sort of thing you might have as a sort of 'baking station' bread or cakes etc. it has little extra bits for spices, trays etc etc

but this one also has 2 small square box units, that are metal lined ...
anyone know why this is? what is it for?

thanks

[-Talbot-]

Any chance of uploading a pic?

[Tilly2]

Keeping radioactive stuff in? :-)

[Jonathan-Joe]

The description matches these : https://uk.pinterest.com/gr33nfly/1950s-kitchens/

[Mamyalynne]

Loose tea maybe?

[The Builder]

Very 50s, joke. A larder/pantry unit. I think the metal lining is to a give sort of basic cold store.

Probably worked well in the old days when kitchens were unseated.

[The Builder]

^^^^^^^. Joko .... Not joke. Stupid iPad.

[The Builder]

UNHEATED. For heavens sake

[Robinia]

I think they might be for bread.

[hc4361]

Definitely for keeping foodstuffs cool in the days before everyone had a fridge.
We kept butter, cheese and cream in one, and sausage and bacon in the other.

[joko]

ah right, yes makes sense.
i was thinking at first it was for keeping cooked food warm longer, but then thought no because it would heat up the cabinet and anything else in it, and also the units are a bit small for even a dinner plate or pie dish etc

thanks all

[johnk]

Is it to stop mice gnawing through the cupboard?