THE SOUND of bubbling pumpkin soup and the shrieks of happy children frightening themselves combined as they carved pumpkins into grotesque faces and enjoyed some cooking.

The special Halloween event was hosted by Tavistock Library to highlight a more sustainable way of using pumpkins, rather than merely carving them into the traditional scary faces and then throwing most of the edible flesh away.

The Recycle Devon group estimates about 15 million pumpkins are ‘chillingly’ binned every Halloweeen — enough to make a bowl of soup for everyone in Britain.

Clare Blake, the self-styled ’Crafty Cook’, helped the children with some quick recipes: “My main role is teaching the lost skills of cooking which aren’t taught at home any more. At this event I’m taking the chance to teach children and parents that it helps their costs and the environment to reduce waste by making the most of the pumpkin flesh, rather than throw it away after making a scary Halloween face. So, I’m showing them how to make spicy pumpkin soup and to roast the seeds for a tasty snack and also make small pumpkin oaty cakes. The children seem to be enjoying themselves as they learn.” Gemma Bellan, of Tavistock, and her children, Harry, four, and Grace, eight, attended. Harry said he had made a ‘Mr Angry’ face. Grace said: “I enjoyed carving my pumpkin. It looks a bit like my dad!” Emily Peek, of Tavistock, brought her daughter Evie, 8. Emily said: “Evie’s enjoyed carving her pumpkin, but found the soup a bit too spicy. It was interesting to know about reducing waste.”