Gourd-geous! British grandfather smashes world's biggest pumpkin record... again

Published: 01:06 BST, 6 October 2026 | Updated: 01:08 BST, 6 October 2026

A grandfather has broken the world record for the biggest pumpkin again.

Ian Paton, 65, spent up to six hours a day working to grow the pumpkin, which weighed 2,856.8lb (1295.8kg), the same as a female hippopotamus.

Mr Paton has now grown the three heaviest pumpkins ever recorded, with his latest triumph coming in the first year after his partnership with his brother Stuart ended after he decided to travel the world.

The brothers grew five of the ten heaviest pumpkins ever in their half-century of growing together.

As a pair they were crowned world champions three times and European champions ten times.

Mr Paton said his granddaughters Etta, five, and Martha Syrett, seven, were 'amazed' by his success and called them after winning the competition.

Competing in the Wargrave Nursery Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off in Berkshire on Saturday, Mr Paton said he knew his pumpkin was a winner when the telehandler lit up like a 'Christmas tree' on seeing its heft.

Mr Paton, from Lymington, Hampshire, said: 'I'm super happy. On Saturday we broke the world record.

Ian Paton pictured with his world record-breaking pumpkin on Saturday in Berkshire

The giant pumpkin weighed 2,856.8lb and took Mr Paton up to six hours of work a day to grow to its enormous size

Mr Paton's seven-year-old granddaughter Martha Syrett pictured on top of the huge gourd

The Hampshire man has now grown the heaviest three pumpkins the world has ever seen

'I knew it was a big one as when I lifted it with the telehandler, all the warning lights came on like a Christmas tree, saying it was too heavy. It's basically overweight.

'It's good to have achieved it without my brother because it was an immense amount of work.

'It's five or six hours of work every day for two months. It's nice to know I can do it myself.

'A lot of that work is burying the vines so it gets more roots - that's where the size comes from.

'The pumpkin grows about a foot and a half or 40cm a day in every direction so it starts to get to be a lot.

'I think someone Googled it and said it's the size of a female hippo. It's certainly very heavy.

'The grandkids were amazed. I put it on a WhatsApp call to them when I won and you could hear them shouting down the phone.

'Between Stuart and myself we have got five out of the top 10 heaviest pumpkins in the world.

'But now I have grown the top one, two and three in the world. That feels really good.

'It feels especially good knowing the Americans haven't got it. I have a lot of friends there who grow pumpkins.

'It's a very friendly sport and everyone works together, so it's not like other sports.'