'Wicked' orders for York St John graduate creative

A York St John University graduate who has launched a seasonal pumpkin carving business has secured contracts with a top West End musical and a primetime TV show for Halloween appearances.

Pump’kd, which runs from York St John University’s Phoenix Centre, will carve and paint 50 pumpkins for the Wicked musical which will decorate the Halloween performances at the Apollo Victoria, London. Pump’kd has also been commissioned to create original pumpkin carvings for Strictly Come Dancing’s judges which will appear on the Halloween-special show on 2 November.

David Turner, who discovered a talent for carving pumpkins and later established Pump’kd, said:
“This small pumpkin seed of a business that I did as a hobby, has grown in the last couple of weeks, to where I have sourced over 200 pumpkins and will be taking on students as staff to help prepare the orders.”

David graduated in Design from York St John University and set up Scruffy Dog Design in 2011, which was rebranded as Turner and Sons this year. He runs both businesses from the Phoenix Centre, an incubator unit on the York St John campus which provides affordable space for creative businesses.

Darrell Hooper, Phoenix Business and Innovation Manager at York St John University, said:
“These orders build on David’s success last year which included commissions from Thorpe Park and which also saw him appear on BBC’s The One Show. He plans to carve the pumpkins on campus and then transport them himself to the various destinations. Students and staff at the University will also be able to buy any remaining pumpkins, large and small, along with original Pump’kd stencils as part of a Halloween pumpkin parade.”

Pump’kd has also received orders to carve and paint pumpkins from Jimmy Choo, Waitrose York, Novotel York, Activities Group in Huby and Gibsons public house on Micklegate, York.