Oct. 28 (UPI) — A pair of British brothers who have been growing gargantuan gourds for over 50 years finally broke a world record when they harvested a pumpkin that tipped the scales at 2,819 pounds, 4 ounces.
Twins Ian and Stuart Paton of Lymington, Hampshire, said they started growing supersized squash in their early teens, and at the age of 64 they finally harvested a pumpkin certified by Guinness World Records as the heaviest pumpkin of all time.
The full-figured fruit, which the brothers named Muggle, also broke the record for the largest pumpkin by circumference at 21 feet and 3.8 inches.
The pumpkin was officially weighed at the Wargrave Nursery Giant Vegetable Weigh-Off, near Reading, England.
The brothers said they were relieved the pumpkin was not damaged in the two-hour trip from their property to the competition, but they have plenty of experience.
“Moving giant pumpkins is fairly easy as we’ve been doing it for many years. We have our big lifting ring and literally scoop up the pumpkins,” Ian Paton told Guinness World Records.
Sebastian Suski, a Great Pumpkin Commonweath assessor and regular Guinness World Records consultant, performed the official measurements,
“I was amazed to see this record come to the U.K.,” Suski said. “This was massive news for the brothers who have been growing for over 50 years, but also for all British pumpkin growers. Ian and Stuart always shared lots of tips for growing giant vegetables with me, so being the one to confirm their pumpkin’s record status was, from a personal perspective, extra special.”