WHEN I moved home to England after 18 years in the US, I imagined that pumpkin patches, along with cheerleading, proms and country music, would be left in my past.
But along with many other Americanisms, the UK has embraced the , and I wanted to find out if we do them as well as our over-enthusiastic cousins.
Sarah wanted to find out if UK pumpkin patches were in par with those in the US
Pumpkin patches in the UK just aren’t quite the same
While pumpkins are much more of a thing in the US – especially in the form of pumpkin pies – the idea of picking your own out as a family activity has boomed in the UK in recent years, especially in the era of social media.
So a damp October morning in the countryside, I found myself stomping through mud in inappropriate shoes watching a fleet of Land Rover owners spinning their tyres and swearing,
Joining by my sister-in-law and a handful of cousins, my kids and I headed to a nearby farm that was once part apple orchard, part turnip field, and had the year before wisely diversified into a pumpkin patchery.
On arrival, we paid the farmer £3 to park my car, gathered up the
huge array of outdoor wear and made my way to the entrance, where the first difference was startling.
In the US, families visit the same patch every year for decades, booking tickets weeks in advance, planning matching outfits, and saving up because a day at the is expensive.
In this squishy field outside , we just strode in, zero queuing and the entrance was free.
The prices listed on the menu sellotaped to a snack van, which sat, half-sunk, next to an ancient oak tree strewn with witches’ hats and giant spiders, didn’t break the bank either.
Perusing their options, I explained to my American-born children that no, it didn’t look like British pumpkin patches served hot buttered corn on the cob.
They didn’t have funnel cakes – deep-fried dough resembling a bird’s nest, topped with powdered sugar and cinnamon – or spicy chilli served in a bread bowl, full to the brim with comfort and nostalgia.
Instead they had to settle for a packet of salt and vinegar crisps and a carton of Ribena – a bargain, but slightly more disappointing.
Pumpkin patches in America have rides and lots of snacks
Treating myself to a watery hot chocolate (more as a hand warmer than as something delicious to drink) we made our way into an already decimated meadow, following a sign that told us big pumpkins were £2, small ones 50p.
No daylight robbery here, but not much else either, compared to what we’d been used to and feeling a bit slighted about the lack of options.
“Where do we go for the hay ride, and where’s the corn maze? Can we build a scarecrow?” my children asked, excitedly.
Sadly, these also aren’t a common occurance in the UK version of pumpkin patches.
Instead, I told them to simply grab a wheelbarrow and get picking.
Albeit I was content visiting the patch, living out the Darling Buds of May dream I’d longed for during my years of homesickness abroad, in the form of blackberry bushes and wax jackets.
But even with patriotic pride, I had to admit Americans just do pumpkin patches better.
I’ve visited patches in , and , and found them surprisingly emotional places.
In the UK pumpkin picking isn’t usually a whole day activity
On my first trip, exploring acres of orange-dotted, white-fenced fields as far as far as the eye could see, it felt like I was on a set.
We donned cowboy hats and boots and embraced the Americana of it all; posing next to red-roofed barns topped with the Stars and Stripes flag, sipping hot cider, and singing along to the Dolly
Parton classics blasting from the speakers.
I’d feel silly doing that in a village that hosts Morris dancers at the local pub, even if it was a possibility.
I have no doubt the pumpkin patch will continue to grow over here, like most American customs – and although we haven’t got it quite right yet, there are some upsides.
For example, they are a much more affordable affair here.
And not only that, but what isn’t lost in the UK is the idea of a wholesome fun family day out in nature, even if it is in the drizzle.
But if they could feel less of a money-making scheme and more of a full experience complete with rides and party-vibes? I’ll start to believe they could eventually trump their American neighbours.
Now if only someone would import the idea of funnel cake…
For more America-inspired activities hear from .
Plus, the .
Pumpkin in America is very different to how it is in the UK 
