Bored students who grew pumpkins in lockdown launch it as an East Lothian business

Two bored students who began growing pumpkins during lockdown have launched their venture as a business

David Grant Suttie, 21, and Alex Humphreys, 22, as humble as pumpkin pie

David Grant Suttie, 21, and Alex Humphreys, 22, turned their hand to growing pumpkins on David’s family farm at Balgone Estate in East Lothian.

As a result Balgone Pumpkins will open to the public on October 16-18, 23-25 and 30-31. Pre-booking is essential and Covid-19 measures will be in place to keep the public safe.

Visitors can expect hours of fun with Halloween themed catering services on site as well as a spooky trail and pumpkin picking.

Boys relaxing at the pumpkin stand

David, an economics student who grew up on the North Berwick estate, said: “We have really enjoyed the technical side of growing the pumpkins as well as the creative side such as designing the Spooky Lake Trail and making the signage as well as building the website.

“We have also linked with local quality catering suppliers so we can showcase the food producers from the region. It has been very much a steep learning curve with lots of support from friends and family- all we need now are people to come and enjoy what we have created.”

Six months on from researching, and from purchasing and planting thousands of pumpkin seeds, their patch has flourished into a pumpkin menagerie bursting with a variety of pumpkins including the infamous Pot of Gold as well as Goosebumps and of course the fans favourite, Jack O’Lanterns.

The harvest coupled with Alex’s economic and David’s business skills was the perfect marriage that led to the budding entrepreneurs launching Balgone Pumpkins.

Since the launch online, bookings are flooding in with local families looking for a fun day out in the countryside after months of being locked up with excitable bairns and puzzling schoolwork.

Alex, who studies business with entrepreneurship at Napier university, spent lockdown with David’s family.

He said: “Although I didn’t grow up on a farm, I have taken to growing pumpkins like a duck to water. It has been challenging, especially with the dry Spring which meant that we had to water the seedlings twice a day for weeks on end. I have a new appreciation of how hard farmers work and how a simple procedure isn’t as straightforward as it first seems.

“It is important for those of us who aren’t close to food production to gain an understanding of what it takes to put food on our table and how to support our farmers by buying locally and sustainably. Lockdown has allowed me to develop a new-found respect for those farming families who work so hard to feed us.”

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