Spare pumpkins from popular Northamptonshire patch set to be donated to Hope Centre

A new partnership will see surplus pumpkins donated from a popular pick your own patch to families in need in Northampton.

Halloween pumpkin waste from Sunnies and Spooks is being repurposed to provide nutritious meals to families and communities facing hardship, with the help of the Hope Centre’s ‘Grow! Cook! Eat! project.

Sunnies and Spooks pumpkin farm based in Kislingbury, is joint owned by Harry, Caroline and Tom Fromant. The farm sells hundreds of pumpkins every October, as it is popular day out for families.

However, there are inevitably pumpkins left over, which Harry says he he tries to ensure they do not go to waste.

"We have a relationship with some local pig farmers, and some pumpkins go to Bugbrooke community café, but there are usually a lot that inevitably get left to rot on the field," Harry said.

Over the last few weeks, the team at Grow! Cook! Eat! has been collecting and testing a variety of pumpkin recipes, designed to give struggling communities the knowledge and the skills to turn surplus Halloween pumpkins into easy to cook, nourishing meals.

Kathleen Tanoh, the Grow! Cook! Eat! coordinator said: “Pumpkins are actually very healthy and nutritious. It’s a shame so many go to waste when they are often sold very cheaply after Halloween.

"Most people just don’t know what to do with them, or are overwhelmed with the preparation, but it really doesn’t take long, and one pumpkin can go a very long way.”

Volunteers and members of the Hope’s Community Larder network have had the opportunity to sample these recipes, including dishes like pumpkin and chickpea curry and pumpkin cake, in preparation for the arrival of free pumpkins from the farm following Halloween.

Harry added: “When we heard of this initiative we were thrilled with the idea, it’s not only helping reduce waste, but it’s teaching cooking skills and providing healthy meals in a very proactive way, and the food will go directly to those that will benefit the most.”

Free pumpkins are heading out to the Community larders in the weeks following Halloween accompanied by a set of recipe cards.

The Hope Centre is always in need of funding to support initiatives like this, to help people struggling with homelessness and hardship in the community. Donations can be made on its JustGiving page.