Making Use of Waste Pumpkins
Waste Halloween pumpkins from Sunnies and Spooks pumpkin farm to be made into Nutritious Meals.

A team of volunteers from Grant Thornton UK LLP are off to Sunnies and Spooks pumpkin farm at the end of Halloween to collect waste pumpkins! Pumpkins are being repurposed to provide nutritious meals to families and communities facing hardship.
There has been an increase in hardship across the country in the past 12 months, leaving many families unable to adequately provide for their children’s basic needs. We offer a lifeline for thousands of individuals each month through our network of Community Larders and homeless centres and this year we are collaborating with Sunnie’s and Spooks Pumpkin Farm on an initiative to collect, prepare and cook waste pumpkins, for people struggling to make ends meet.
Pumpkin Tasting
Sunnie’s and Spooks Pumpkin Farm based at Kislingbury’s, joint owned by Harry, Caroline and Tom Fromant sell hundreds of pumpkins on their farm every October for Halloween. Harry explains how he tries to ensure the pumpkins left over at the end of the season don’t go to waste;
“We have a relationship with some local pig farmers, and some pumpkins go to Bugbrook community café, but there are usually a lot that inevitably get left to rot on the field.”
Over the last few weeks, the Hope Centre has been working with the team at Grow! Cook! Eat! 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 explains;
“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 Fromant continues;
“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 and Recipe Cards
Free pumpkins are heading out to the Community larders in the weeks following Halloween accompanied by a set of recipe cards. A cooking workshop will also be held at Hope Centre’s Community Hub at Ash St on Thursday the 2nd of October from 10.30 for anyone struggling with the cost of living interested in learning how to cook with pumpkins and squashes.
You can download your pumpkin recipes HERE.


Support Hope
To help us deliver initiatives like this and help people struggling with homelessness and hardship, please donate HERE.