Perfect Pears

Juicy, gentle and packed with goodness—British pears make snack time simple. Soft, sweet and easy to love—from lunchboxes to after-school platters.

Pear-fect for Snacking

Pears are naturally sweet, high in fibre and vitamin C, and wonderfully soft for little mouths. They’re perfect for young eaters, super versatile, and available in several delicious British varieties.

On this page, we’ll show you how to pick, prep and serve pears with confidence—plus simple snack ideas to keep things fun and balanced.

How to Shop, Store & Prep Pears

Shopping

Look for fruit that gives slightly when gently pressed near the stem. Most pears ripen best after being picked, so firm pears will be ready to eat at home after sitting out for a few days!

Storage

Store unripe pears at room temperature, then move ripe ones to the fridge where they’ll last 2–3 more days.

Too soft?

Blend into a quick pear purée or mash onto toast with cinnamon.

Not ripe yet?

Slice and roast with a drizzle of honey or serve grated into yoghurt. Firmer pears are also less sweet so delicious with cheese in sandwiches, wraps or on snack platters.

Did you know?

Keep them in the fridge and eat within a few days. Only rinse right before eating to prevent them spoiling.

Get kids involved

They can rinse the pears, help slice soft ripe pears with butter knives or kid knives, or mash soft pears into yoghurt or porridge.

Know Your Pears

Here’s your cheat sheet to the British-grown pears you’re most likely to find—and how to use them:

Conference

Flavour & Texture: Sweet, firm to soft, gentle flavour (Britain’s favourite pear!)

Season: September-May

Try it… Sliced raw or cubed and added to yoghurt

Williams

Flavour & Texture: Juicy, fragrant, very soft, strong flavour

Season: August-October

Try it… Purées, porridge, or with granola

Comice

Flavour & Texture: Super juicy, rich and sweet

Season: October-February

Try it… Snack platters or cheese pairings, stewed, or sliced raw

Concorde

Flavour & Texture: Buttery, smooth, juicy, melon-like in flavour

Season: October-February

Try it… Grated in wraps or served with cheese, or whole when ripe

For more info about varieties go to British Apples & Pears.

Pear Snack Ideas

Tasty combos and 5-minute prep—ideal for busy families:

Pear slices + soft cheese or ricotta + toast

Pear + granola + yoghurt in a pot

Mini pear crumble pots with stewed pear chunks + granola

Grated or sliced pear + cheese in a wrap with salad leaves

Roasted pear slices + cinnamon + Greek yoghurt

Pear + nut butter on toast or rice cakes

Pear “boats” (halve lengthways and scoop out seeds) with raisins and a few nuts or seeds for crunch

Do you have a question you’d like one of our experts to help you with?

Send us a question

Simply Veg

Need to get your kids eating more veg?

Our only goal is to help parents and carers serve up affordable, simple food their families will love. We know that takes more than a few recipes, so we've got all the hacks and advice you'll need. Join now. It's 100% free and 100% simple.