‘Golden Bud’ is a specific, rare perry pear variety primarily grown in the Three Counties of England (Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire), renowned for its use in creating the traditional, sparkling alcoholic drink known as perry.
Characteristics and Use:
Like most perry pears it is an stringent raw fruit: not typically eaten fresh as it is “an eye-scrunching, bitter experience”.
The fruit is primarily used to produce a fine, delicately sparkling old English perry, where the high tannins and acidity transform during fermentation into a complex, flavourful drink. The drink’s flavour has been described by some as having a lovely perfume with notes of grape, melon, and lily petals, perked up with sherbet and lemon zest.
Pollination & Growth Details:
Golden Bud is not self-fertile. Like the vast majority of heritage perry pear varieties, it requires a pollination partner—a different variety of pear that flowers at the same time—to produce a reliable crop.
Like most heritage pears, Golden Bud is not self-fertile. and requires a partner tree for pollination. Most traditional perry pears fall into Group 3 (Group C). This means they require a partner from Group 2, 3, or 4 (e.g. Beth, Conference, Blakeney Red) to ensure their flowering periods overlap.
Heritage perry pears are generally prized for their longevity and robust resistance to common diseases like scab and canker, which often plague modern dessert varieties. These trees are exceptionally long-lived, with some specimens in the “Three Counties” region of England known to live for over 300 years.