They were looking for a small pumpkin to take home and carve at the weekend.

However, Benjamin and Cameron Porter got a lot more than they bargained for at J&J Produce’s pumpkin picking event on Saturday.

They guessed the size of a giant pumpkin more accurately than scores of other shoppers — and took home a 163lb gourd.

“The boys were ecstatic when they heard they had won the contest and danced around the kitchen with excitement,” said mom Alexandra Porter.

“My husband [David] and I were not quite as enthusiastic contemplating the idea that we would be eating pumpkin from now until Easter!”

The Porters didn’t even have the resources to cut up a pumpkin of that size. So giving it away seemed like the natural solution.

“We spoke to our friend Holger Eiselt at The Buzz Group and came up with the idea to make soup,” Mrs Porter said. “Then we arranged with the Eliza DoLittle Society to distribute it through their Daily Bread programme to those members of our community who are in need.

“Daily Bread is a wonderful programme and it seemed like the perfect fit! The Buzz Group will be making the soup and donating bread rolls.”

Mrs Porter said her family was happy to give back.

“Doing something nice for others, especially as Thanksgiving time approaches, means a great deal to us,” she explained. “Our Island has gone through a lot in the past few weeks and providing a meal for those in need just felt like the right thing to do.

“The boys are really looking forward to tasting the soup themselves and helping to hand it out on the day it is distributed.”

Mr Eisett said this might be the biggest pumpkin Buzz has ever worked with but it wasn’t too daunting a challenge for their professional chefs. “We will use our manpower to prepare the soup, bake fresh rolls to deliver them to the site and also help with serving it up,” he said.

“For us it’s a small thing to do, but hopefully it can impact some people’s lives and make their day a little better.”

Margaret Ward, the executive director of the Eliza DoLittle Society, said the donation was very much appreciated.

“This proves how people can give in so many different ways when it comes to food,” she said. “The great thing is a lot of people are going to benefit from this donation, so it really means a lot.”

The pumpkin soup will be handed out on the corner of Court and Dundonald Streets on Thursday at 7pm.