Record-breaking farm unveils Beetlejuice-themed 'pumpkin mosaic' for Halloween

  • ITV News Meridian's Rachel Hepworth went along to Sunnyfields Farm for the unveiling

A pumpkin farm in Hampshire has unveiled its latest themed display ahead of Halloween.

Staff at Sunnyfields Farm in Totton near Southampton have used 10,000 pumpkins and squash to create this year's Beetlejuice-themed design.

Last year, the farm won a Guinness World Record for the largest pumpkin mosaic for its display based on the 1993 film 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'.

This year's theme was chosen in an online poll, with 70% voting for Beetlejuice.

The farm grows thousands of pumpkins every year. Credit: ITV News Meridian

Ian Nelson, Owner, Sunnyfields Farm, said: "They're all natural colours. On the day of the build, I think this year about 15 people turned up about 9.30am and we started building.

"We've made it bigger, so we are ready if anyone tries to take our record, to make sure we've got an even bigger one."

Approximately 80,000 visitors descend on the farm every year to see the display and pick their own pumpkins.

Also on display, is one of the largest pumpkins in the world, called Hagrid, grown by local farmer Ian Paton.

Ian Paton speaking to ITV News Meridian reporter Rachel Hepworth about one of the largest pumpkins in the world. Credit: ITV News Meridian

Ian Paton said: "I've been doing this for 50 years, it's pumpkin sickness. We're sort of working on them for three hours a day for up to three months so you sort of get attached to them. I'm not going to say I talk to them, but I might."

However, pumpkin growers across the South East say it has been a challenging year due to bad weather.

Tom Peters, Hampshire National Farmers Union, said: "This year has probably been the most challenging year in the farming calendar for multiple generations.

"There are people with pumpkin patches that are struggling to get the pumpkins ripened in time.

It's been a tough year for pumpkin farmers due to the bad weather. Credit: ITV News Meridian

"A lot of them are still green, so if you go to a pumpkin patch, don't be surprised to see green pumpkins."

National Trust gardeners said September's cold and wet weather brought the growing season to end much earlier than usual, with its gardeners reporting reduced crops ahead of Halloween.

Among the worst affected was Kingston Lacy in Dorset, where pumpkins and squashes had to be harvested a month early, marking the earliest ever harvest for the property.

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