Australian fruit lovers have something new to celebrate with the arrival of the first crop of QTee pears.

Thanks to ideal growing conditions, growers across Australia have harvested a little earlier than expected.

This new aromatic, red-blushed pear originates from Norway. It is a medium-sized fruit with an intense red blush and green background, offering a sweet, aromatic flavour.

QTee pears can be enjoyed either hard and crunchy or juicy and soft.

Known for their delicate, juicy flesh QTee pears are the result of a natural crossing between the Williams and Broket July varieties and were first planted in Australia in 2020.

QTee were initially planted in Belgium in 2015 and have since been planted in Slovakia, Norway, Switzerland, South Africa, Spain, Italy, Austria and France.

In Australia, QTee pears are grown in the ideal pear growing regions of Goulburn Valley, Cobram (VIC) and Adelaide Hills (SA).

HBMA general manager Elisa King says HBMA has the exclusive Australian license from ABCz and Fruithandel Wouters.

The company’s European co-Ordinator, Roger Van Engelgem, worked closely with ABCz and Fruithandel Wouters to develop an extensive grower manual.

“By applying valuable learnings from Europe and South Africa to Australian conditions, and through regular visits to Australia growers to demonstrate pruning techniques and best-in-class growing practices we’ve equipped growers with the tools they need to produce exceptional fruit and ensure profitable yields,” Roger says.

“QTee is a healthy, low-calorie snack that is ideal for cooking, baking, and preserving – the possibilities are endless,” he says.

“The biggest barrier to purchase for consumers is not knowing how to ripen a pear, so the fact QTee pears can be eaten crunchy or soft is brilliant,” Elisa added.

“Next year, consumers can look forward to more than double the volume of QTee pears as our trees continue to mature,” she says.

“However, with this being our first crop, quantities are limited so be sure to visit your local store soon to experience this delicious new pear before it’s gone.”