It's a far cry from parents pushing chips and burgers through the school fence, but mums at a Birmingham school came up with their own special food delivery.

Unlike the dubious qualities of fast food, they were confident in the healthy goodness of a range of fruit which they offered in a fun tasting session at Hallfield School, Edgbaston. Exotic pomegranates, star fruits and mangos lined up alongside the more recognisable fare of apples and oranges to tempt the taste buds of girls and boys at this leading preparatory school and to promote fruit as an enjoyable, as well as a healthy option.

The breaktime event was organised by three mothers, in partnership with catering manageress Jenny Cartwright. Parents' association chairman Maro Cooke, former chairman Amanda Georgevic and committee member Charlie Connolly, encouraged children to try different fruits and not just the ones they were more familiar with.

Headmaster Clive O'Donnell said: "It was a great idea and supported in a fun way the work we do in school to promote a healthy, balanced diet for children.

"We regularly offer fruit options at lunchtimes and indeed the only food which pupils are allowed to bring into school as a snack at breaktime is fruit."

During school meals at Hallfield, bowls of raw vegetables, such as chopped celery, carrots and red peppers, are placed on tables for the children to sample and hopefully develop a taste for. The introduction of a healthy meals menu at a South Yorkshire comprehensive hit the headlines when it prompted some parents to take orders for fish and chips, burgers and other foods which they delivered to pupils through the school fence.

Feeling fruity: Maro Cooke, chairman of the parents' association, is pictured with Matthew Mitchell, aged ten, and Sophie Ward, 11, at Hallfield's fun fruit tasting session.