Cadbury World unveils a giant chocolate pumpkin

Cadbury World in Bournville has unveiled its first giant chocolate pumpkin, ready for the Halloween half-term.

The handmade creation stands 64cm tall and weighs 50kg, about the same as two large adult emperor penguins. It took the attraction's chocolatiers Dawn Jenks, Donna Oluban and Courtney Bunn two days to make.

How it was made

The pumpkin's face was carved by hand, and its eyes were painted with white lustre on the outside and gold in the middle, so they appear to glow from inside. The stalks were made using existing cocoa pod moulds, filled, shelled and then joined together.

Each autumn leaf was piped by hand onto parchment and curved while still wet to give it a natural shape, then painted with lustre to bring out the colours.

"We've been brewing up something special this year, and we're thrilled to finally unveil our first ever giant chocolate pumpkin," said Dawn Jenks. "It's a real treat for the eyes, but it's just the start of what's waiting for visitors this Halloween."

Trick or treat

The pumpkin is the centrepiece of a new Trick or Treat experience, running from 17 October to 1 November. In the gameshow-style challenge, visitors choose from a series of doors and guess which Cadbury character is hiding behind one. Everyone who plays takes home a small treat, and those who find a character win an extra reward.

Freddo's Halloween Spooktacular, a 15-minute live stage show with games, songs and spooky surprises, also returns. Smaller handmade chocolate pumpkins are on sale in the shop.

The Halloween activities are included in standard admission, and tickets can be booked on Cadbury World's website.

Half-term in Birmingham

The October half-term is one of the busiest times of year for Birmingham's family attractions. Cadbury World, which opened in 1990 next to the Bournville factory, is one of the region's most popular days out, telling the story of chocolate and of the Cadbury family who built the factory and the model village around it.

Other attractions are also running Halloween events, from ghost tours of historic buildings to themed trails in parks and museums. Families planning a visit are advised to book ahead, as many sessions sell out during the holidays.

A chocolate city

Chocolate has been made at Bournville since 1879, when brothers Richard and George Cadbury moved the family business out of the town centre. The factory is still one of the biggest in the country, and the smell of chocolate drifting across south Birmingham is part of local life.

The family's story is about to reach a wider audience, too, with a new television drama, The Cadburys, filmed in Birmingham this year and due to be released in 2027.