I found this on a New Zealand nursery website

Highly ornamental smaller tree (3 metres), that has been grown since ancient times for it's edible fruit. The distinctive brown fruit have rough textured skin. Allow fruit to remain on the tree as long as possible into winter and harvest when it picks easily. Store in a cool dry place and eat when the skin and flesh have softened. Medlar fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. Medlar trees will grow in almost any soil condition but prefers well drained, warm loam soil in a sunny position.