Thanksgiving in the UK: Why Pumpkins, Pumpkin Picking and KellyBronze Turkeys Belong Together This Autumn

As Thanksgiving becomes more popular in the UK, many families are embracing it as a warm and seasonal moment to enjoy good food, cosy evenings and time together. And if you are planning a Thanksgiving feast this year, your celebration starts long before the turkey goes into the oven. It starts in the pumpkin fields.

At Foxes Farm Produce, the original and first Essex pumpkin patch established in 2015, you are not just picking pumpkins for Halloween. You are gathering the ingredients, decorations and memories that make late autumn feel special. With more London families and day trippers searching for pumpkin picking near London, things to do in Essex in autumn and dog friendly pumpkin patches, pumpkin picking has become the perfect pre Thanksgiving tradition.

Why Thanksgiving and Pumpkin Picking Belong Together

Pumpkins are at the heart of American Thanksgiving. Pumpkin pies, pumpkin soup, roasted pumpkin sides and seasonal centrepieces all feature heavily on festive tables. When you visit an Essex pumpkin patch like Foxes Farm Produce, close to Manningtree, you create a connection between the food on your table and the place it came from.

Visitors from London come in search of an autumn day out that feels grounded and seasonal. Picking your own pumpkins gives you fresh produce for

• pumpkin pie
• pumpkin puree
• roasted pumpkin sides
• pumpkin soup
• stuffing or roast vegetable mixes

And it gives you natural and farm grown decorations for your Thanksgiving table.

The Perfect Autumn Day Out from London Before Thanksgiving

Foxes Farm Produce in Colchester is one of the most accessible pumpkin patches for London families, with direct trains from Liverpool Street and easy access along the A12.

Families enjoy wandering the fields, choosing the perfect pumpkins for cooking and decorating, taking photos in the pumpkin patch and spending time together away from screens. A visit turns the run up to Thanksgiving into a meaningful autumn tradition.

Pumpkins and KellyBronze Turkeys A Perfect Match

If you are planning to serve a KellyBronze turkey for Thanksgiving, widely recognised as the United Kingdom’s premium slow grown turkey, pairing it with pumpkins you picked yourself makes the meal feel thoughtful and seasonal.

Pumpkins from the patch complement a KellyBronze turkey beautifully

• velvety pumpkin soup to start
• roasted pumpkin with sage
• pumpkin mash as a seasonal alternative to sweet potatoes
• homemade pumpkin pie made from fresh puree
• caramelised pumpkin wedges tossed with gentle autumn herbs

With KellyBronze turkeys cooking quickly and staying naturally juicy, you have more time to prepare your pumpkin dishes without stress. The combination feels nostalgic for American families living in the UK.

Decorating Your Thanksgiving Table with Home Grown Pumpkins

Thanksgiving is all about warmth and atmosphere, and pumpkins are one of the easiest ways to decorate your home for the occasion. From Foxes Farm Produce, you can bring home

• mini pumpkins for place settings
• mixed gourds for centrepieces
• large pumpkins for porches and doorways
• unique pink pumpkins for a modern look
• natural straw bales and autumn displays

A Thanksgiving table filled with fresh pumpkins and gourds is beautiful, sustainable and deeply seasonal.

A Family Friendly and Dog Friendly Tradition in the Making

Thanksgiving brings families together, and that often includes the dog. Foxes Farm Produce is known as one of the most dog friendly pumpkin patches in Essex, within very easy reach of Chelmsford, Great Dunmow and even Bishops Stortford.

Families spend the day exploring the farm together

• children choosing pumpkins for pies and recipes
• adults selecting decorations and cooking pumpkins
• dogs enjoying the open rural space
• everyone making memories before winter arrives

A simple autumn day becomes part of your wider Thanksgiving celebration.

Sustainable Pumpkins for a Meaningful Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is rooted in gratitude and connection, making sustainably grown pumpkins from a real working Essex farm the perfect choice. Pumpkins at Foxes Farm Produce are grown using low input methods, harvested by hand and machinery and left in the field for visitors to pick during the season.

Although the pumpkin picking fields close after Halloween, Foxes Farm Produce continues to supply pumpkins well into November, making us the number one Essex pumpkin farm supplying pumpkins beyond Halloween. While other pumpkin patches close for the season, we remain the trusted Essex supplier for families who need fresh pumpkins for Thanksgiving.

Teens, Halloween and the Run Up to Thanksgiving

While younger children enjoy daytime pumpkin picking, teens and Gen Z often look for excitement in the run up to Halloween and Thanksgiving. 

Many families visit once for the Halloween thrill and then return again for pumpkins for Thanksgiving cooking and decorating.

Why Thanksgiving Is Becoming a Second Pumpkin Moment

Even once Halloween has passed, demand for pumpkins stays strong among families celebrating Thanksgiving or planning autumn gatherings. Many visitors come back in late October and early November to buy pumpkins specifically for cooking.

Thanksgiving naturally extends the pumpkin season as

• London families prepare for gatherings
• American expats host traditional meals
• UK families adopt Thanksgiving as a cosy seasonal celebration
• people search for KellyBronze turkeys and festive recipes
• home cooks look for fresh pumpkins instead of tinned puree

Pumpkins become the beginning of the celebration.

A British Thanksgiving Begins in the Pumpkin Fields

Whether you are hosting a full Thanksgiving meal with a KellyBronze turkey, celebrating the end of autumn with friends or simply enjoying a seasonal family feast, your celebration begins with the traditions that make this time of year special.

Foxes Farm Produce offers one of the most authentic family friendly and dog friendly pumpkin patches near London, with sustainable farming, beautiful pumpkins and memorable autumn experiences. Choosing pumpkins grown here in Essex turns an ordinary meal into a seasonal tradition and gives you one last moment to enjoy the beauty of autumn before winter arrives.