IT might not be the most cosmopolitan image in the world but Titchfield farmer Nathan Dellicott is proud to have helped put pumpkins on the map.

His face is appearing in supermarkets across the country as part of a promotional campaign for the humble fruit. From the farm at Little Abshot Nathan produces over a quarter of a million pumpkins ranging from a pound in weight up to 100lbs.

The increasing popularity of Hallowe'en is one of the reasons why sales of the pumpkins have rocketed over recent years.

Mr Dellicott said: "When I first started on the farm, there was only a small corner devoted to growing pumpkins now 85 acres of the land is used for growing them.

"We grow a variety of pumpkin, our biggest being the Sumo variety that can grow anything up to 100lbs."

Despite normally keeping quite a low profile Mr Dellicott, who has worked on the farm for 12 years, can now be seen along fruit and vegetable aisles in Waitrose stores across the country. He said: "The pictures were taken a while ago by Waitrose and it happened to be during the pumpkin season, that's how it happened really. It's funny when my children see my face smiling out at them from the fruit and veg aisles though."

He also helped devise a pumpkin carving kit that is now being sold along with the pumpkins which includes pumpkin cutting tools, a variety of stencils, a candle and a variety of recipes.

According to Mr Dellicott the secret of success to his pumpkins is the location. "There is a lack of early season frost here and the area has high levels of light and dryer weather."

PUMPKIN FACTFILE:

Pumpkins originated in Central America.

The largest pumpkin grown weighed 1,140 pounds.

Pumpkins are 90 per cent water.

Native Americans dried strips of pumpkin and wove them into mats.

They also roasted long strips of pumpkin on the open fire and ate them.

The origin of pumpkin pie occurred when the colonists sliced off the pumpkin top, removed the seeds, and filled the insides with milk, spices and honey.

Pumpkins are members of the vine crops family called cucurbits.

The name pumpkin originated from "pepon" - the Greek word for "large melon".