Getting its glow on never stops for pumpkin supremo and Waitrose partner DGM Growers as Halloween hungry customers drive ballooning demand and extend the decorating season. The specialist veg group is delivering more than 100,000 prime specimens to the supermarket chain this year. The majority comprise edible large and medium carving pumpkins, but a fan base is growing for the smaller Ghost variety too. Prized for its pale skin this creates eerie eye-catching displays.
“Halloween continues to grow in popularity and searches on Waitrose.com are up 32% this year,” says fresh produce and horticulture buying manager Russell Crowe. “While these pumpkins might not be used in the same way as other fruit and veg, sourcing still matters to our customers. That’s why we’re really pleased to partner with DGM Growers to support local farmers and offer homegrown pumpkins. When you are carving your dastardly decorations you can be sure you are backing British too.”
DGM, which employs 158 staff, has doubled sales in the past eight years and now turns over some £38million. Renowned as the only grower of chicory in the UK, it’s part of the Fresca Group which has a 150-year-old heritage dating back to London’s old Covent Garden market and now supplies retailers, food service and wholesalers. Today it has the UK’s largest glasshouse production at Thanet Earth in Kent.
DGM’s preparation takes 11 months with Halloween’s tight seasonal window and the need to handle heavyweight stock piling on the challenges. “Pumpkins are an increasingly important part of our portfolio,” says DGM managing director Simon Scott.
“The emotion involved in delivering a successful Halloween, all within eight weeks, is like no other. Thankfully it’s a robust crop. The colour is determined by good sunlight and care post-harvest. Continued investment in supporting logistics like cold storage space ensures we can meet demand. People don’t want dirty pumpkins, but sometimes cleaning them can reduce shelf life. We have focussed on preventing them getting dirty in the first place by planting areas of a field with grass or a cover crop and then placing the harvested pumpkins on top.”
Halloween’s spellbinding impact is also seeding new trends in home decoration. Customers are embracing watermelon and pineapple carving to express their desire for creative novelty, notes Waitrose buyer Phoebe Walsh. “Pumpkin painting is becoming more popular too,” she adds. “We have a slick logistics plan and stay in regular contact with DGM so farms and transport are organised for a quick turnaround.” There could be more shape-shifting in store on the pumpkin front too. “We are continually looking at what’s next from different coloured pumpkins to unusual shapes,” says Scott. “There’s a lot going on with breeders to widen the choice and there’s appetite in the UK for that.” www.waitrose.com, www.frescagroup.co.uk