A pumpkin weighing about 860 pounds (390 kilograms) has taken over a couple’s allotment in Ashtead, Surrey, and is set to be entered in the UK National Giant Vegetables Championship at the Malvern Autumn Show later this month.
Growers Justin Griffiths and Kay Walker said the Atlantic Giant variety ballooned far beyond their expectations and now dominates their plot at the Leatherhead Poors Allotments. They also have a second large pumpkin on the plot, estimated at about 250 kilograms (560 pounds). With the Malvern show approaching, the couple said they are organising how to move the larger gourd, suggesting options such as hiring an engine crane or enlisting ‘lots of people with a tarpaulin.’
The Atlantic Giant cultivar is known among competitive growers for producing unusually large fruit when tended carefully. Observers noted the 860‑pound specimen is heavier than three baby African elephants at the low end of that animals’ juvenile weight range — an illustration growers used to convey its scale.
The couple plan to display the gourd at the Malvern Autumn Show’s national championship, where the biggest specimens in the country contend for prizes and attention. Moving specimens of this size can require specialised equipment: last year, twin brothers Ian and Stuart Paton needed a crane to lift their 1,198.2‑kilogram (about 2,642‑pound) pumpkin onto scales after it set a new British record. The Patons said their record‑setting squash required three hours of tending per day over three months; they planted seeds in April, hand‑pollinated in June and noted the fruit was roughly 113 days old when weighed at the show.
The heaviest pumpkin on record, according to Guinness World Records, was weighed in California in 2023 at 1,246.9 kilograms (2,749 pounds). Competitive giant‑pumpkin cultivation has become a niche but highly organised part of the autumn agricultural calendar in the United Kingdom, with growers employing careful pollination, feeding and handling techniques to maximise size while avoiding damage.
On the Leatherhead plot the giant pumpkin has supplanted some of the pair’s other crops such as carrots and potatoes, though they continue to grow tomatoes and leeks around it. The couple did not give further cultivation details, but organisers and experienced growers have long advised that soil preparation, consistent watering and protection from pests are crucial when attempting to produce very large fruit.
At Malvern, show sponsors and organisers typically arrange for weighing and, if necessary, lifting of oversized entries, and large pumpkins are often displayed to crowds before being repurposed or carved. Griffiths and Walker's decision to enter the national championship will place their harvest among a field of veteran competitors who travel from across the country for the annual event.
The Malvern Autumn Show and its National Giant Vegetables Championship remain scheduled for later this month, when judges will verify weights and rank entries against national and international records.