PALLET pooler IPP is working with a Bognor Regis-based pumpkin grower to move more than one million Halloween pumpkins in just four weeks.
This is one of the busiest times of the year for Barfoots of Botley who, together with IPP, are responsible for delivering four different types of pumpkins into UK supermarkets.
Paul Chilton, the company’s head of logistics and planning, said the UK’s love of all things Halloween has led to year-on-year growth for pumpkin deliveries throughout its eight-year relationship with IPP.
Coventry-based IPP works with market gardeners and growers across the country to deliver pumpkins into supermarkets, as well as delivering tens of millions of confectionery buckets for doorstep trick or treaters.
Paul said, “Along with the summer sweetcorn season, this is one of our busiest times of the year. We’re moving more than a million pumpkins, which are used for carving, cooking and decoration. The biggest of the lot is the carving pumpkin, which accounts for around 750,000 of the pumpkins we grow and move.
“The vast majority of these are distributed over just four weeks. It’s a huge technical challenge getting everything lined up for effectively one day.”
Barfoots of Botley and IPP work hand-in-hand to provide the extra resources needed to deal with the short, sharp spike in activity.
Shelley Pierre, commercial director at IPP, added, “We know how popular Halloween has become in the UK, and the huge volumes of pumpkins we move for Barfoots of Botley just prove that. It’s a great partnership which works on the flexibility, customer service and quality of product that we’re known for.”
