Sowing the seeds of terror this Halloween will be 75 ghoulishly carved pumpkins at The Fairmont Southampton.

The pumpkins will go on display in the hotel lobby from October 26 to November 1, aiming to give visitors a seasonal jolt as they arrive.

“I want to scare the guests,” said sous chef and kitchen artist Ernie Ogalesco, who is carving the designs with the help of his apprentice, Quinn White.

It takes Mr Ogalesco between one and two hours to complete each pumpkin, depending on the complexity of the individual artwork.

“Halloween is a busy time for me,” said the sous chef, who has completed 15 pumpkins, “but I love my job and getting to do creative things, and I had some guests saying the pumpkins look great.”