Smashing pumpkin records: British twins first to bring biggest pumpkin title to UK

Twin brothers Ian and Stuart Paton from Hampshire, UK, don't only share a birthday but a rather unusual hobby: they have been growing giant pumpkins together for over five decades.

With more than a century’s worth of experience between them, having started in their early teens and now aged 64, it’s no wonder they have carved out a place among the most lauded growers of supersized squashes on the planet.

Having claimed the all-time British heaviest pumpkin title in 2022 with a 1,205-kg (2,656-lb 9-oz) behemoth, the pair have on several occasions come agonizingly close to also grasping the world record only to fall just short on the weighing scales or – even worse – to be scuppered by a slight imperfection that has resulted in disqualification.

But all the years of tireless toil, honing their technique and setup, and their fair share of bittersweet moments paid off on 6 October: this was the day they could finally lift the crown they had long dreamed of.

And a bit like apocryphal buses always coming along en masse, their world-smashing pumpkin – nicknamed “Muggle” (many of their prize pumpkins have had names inspired by the Harry Potter franchise) – ended up claiming not one but two GWR titles:

• Heaviest pumpkin: 1,278.8 kg (2,819 lb 4 oz)
• Largest pumpkin by circumference: 649.8 cm (255.8 in; 21 ft 3.8 in)

The Patons carefully drove their goliath gourd from their hometown of Lymington in the New Forest to a competition near Reading, a two-hour drive away. This operation is no mean feat when having to lift and transport a precious cargo that is both fragile yet at the same time weighs the equivalent of a small car!

Though as Ian explained they’ve become old hands at this process by now, after so long entering their mega pumpkins into contests all around the UK: “Moving giant pumpkins is fairly easy as we’ve been doing it for many years. We have our big lifting ring and literally scoop up the pumpkins.”

Thankfully no incidents occurred en route, so official judges from the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth (GPC) were able to approve the monster squash’s condition as it was delivered to the Wargrave Nursery Giant Vegetable Weigh-Off. At that point, the siblings knew that the results would be valid, so all that was left was for the scales and the measuring tape to reveal the final numbers.

The measurements were carried out by Sebastian Suski, a GPC assessor and regular GWR consultant on giant fruit and vegetables. For him, it was an honour to bear witness to this groundbreaking moment of pumpkin history:

“I was amazed to see this record come to the UK," Suski told GWR. "This was massive news for the brothers who have been growing for over 50 years, but also for all British pumpkin growers. Ian and Stuart always shared lots of tips for growing giant vegetables with me, so being the one to confirm their pumpkin's record status was, from a personal perspective, extra special. I was proud to verify the first and I’m sure not the last world record for the Paton family.”

After the competition was over, the Patons took their magnificent pumpkin to be displayed at Sunnyfields Farm, near Southampton, which is where Guinness World Records caught up with them to present their official certificates.

Coincidentally, the farm itself, owned by the Nelson family (UK), attempted a Halloween-themed pumpkin record of its own this year, paying homage to the late rockstar Ozzy Osbourne by recreating the Prince of Darkness (of course, along with some bats) using some 10,000 gourds. Covering an area of 212 m² (2,281 sq ft), this now represents the largest squash mosaic image.

This improves on their own record for the largest squash mosaic image set in 2023 when Sunnyfields Farm reproduced an iconic scene of Jack Skellington from the Tim Burton movie The Nightmare Before Christmas that spanned 194 m² (2,081 sq ft).

The UK is one of the epicentres of competitive produce growing, with many world titles claimed by ace gardeners across the country every year – including seven just last month at the prestigious CANNA UK National Giant Vegetables Championship held every year at the Malvern Autumn Show.

But until now, the biggest pumpkin titles have eluded British growers, typically going to climes with warmer and more reliable summers in North America, central Europe and Australia.

The Patons have found a way to mitigate the UK’s cooler and more temperamental weather by opting to grow their giant gourds in a greenhouse, which is a key factor that has enabled them to push their pumpkins to unprecedented proportions over the decades, particularly so in recent years.

The high bar that the Patons had to clear was 1,246.9 kg (2,749 lb) for a pumpkin presented by Travis Gienger (USA) at a competition in California on 9 October 2023. It had a circumference of 642.6 cm (21 ft 1 in).

Gienger, who hails from Minnesota, does still retain the title of largest jack o’lantern, after he worked with pro pumpkin carver Eric Jones (USA) to transform his then-record gourd into an organic sculpture that paid tribute to retired servicepeople on Veterans Day in 2023.

Showing how much camaraderie there is among giant veg growers, Gienger passed on his kudos soon after the Patons’ success was announced: “Congratulations on a magnificent monumental achievement,” he posted online.

Prior to Gienger, the heaviest pumpkin tipped the scales at 1,226 kg (2,702 lb 13.9 oz) and was grown by Stefano Cutrupi of Italy as ratified on 26 September 2021. That specimen marked a major milestone as it was the first ever giant pumpkin in competition to surpass the 2,700-lb barrier.

When asked what it’s like cultivating giant pumpkins for competition with your brother and whether they ever have differing opinions, Ian told GWR: “We nearly always agree on how to grow giant pumpkins as it’s just a science.

“Every year we go through our blueprint on how to grow giant pumpkins and we add any improvements and new techniques. We then stick to the blueprint so that each year we improve.”

So with a combined century of pumpkin cultivation between them and having now finally achieved that long-sought world record, are the brothers perhaps ready to hang up their gardening gloves?

It seems here at least the siblings do have opposing plans, as Ian revealed: “Stuart is retiring from growing pumpkins, but I intend to keep growing.”

For more mind-boggling examples of prodigious produce, check out the latest GWR book and our news page dedicated to food and drink records.