Mumsnet Talk

My mum wants a pear tree for her birthday but I've got no idea what variety to get her. I know she doesn't like conference pears and wants a pear that she can both eat raw and cook with. Can anyone recommend any good varieties please?

Comice?

You need to speak to the nursery these people are very good to get the right tree for the garden size and part of the country.

Thank you - will give them a try.

beth pear - small tree, crops early, has the sweetest yummiest pears on the planet ! You could cook with them but they don't last that long in our house. They don't store well - but again not a problem because they are eaten so quickly.

by the way - pears often need a pollination partner - so maybe you are looking for two - beth and another (cooker probably)

just been googling - this looks a useful site.

That looks great Throckenholt - I never knew pears were so complicated!

I think I'll call the nursery and talk it through with them.

Keepers and Deacons are both great, but I think Deacons are nicer. Keepers a bit sniffy.
We got much our best trees from here

Another vote for Beth

Try a concorde. A bit like a comice pear but easier to grow. Fairly compact tree and self-fertile (so you only need one and my parents one gets far more pears than they can eat!). Good for eating raw and cooking. Nothing like a yucky conference pear.