HEALTHY desserts designed by primary school pupils are set to be dished out to thousands of children across County Durham.

Each containing 50 per cent fruit, the puddings are the creations of three children from Byerley Park Primary School, in Newton Aycliffe, and will now go on the lunch menu at 213 schools.

They were challenged to come up with a fruit-inspired recipe as part of a health drive from the county’s main provider of school meals, Taylor Shaw, which serves up around 25,000 meals a day.

Alison Gargan, Byerley Park headteacher, said: "It's a real honour to be chosen to help Taylor Shaw because of the work that we do making sure the children have a voice and that their voice is heard."

Taylor Shaw decided to get children involved in designing its menu following the Government's introduction of new school food standards 18 months ago.

One of the requirements was that desserts had to be half fruit and half raw ingredients but the meal provider team found children weren't eating the whole thing.

Taylor Shaw general manager Lynda Walker said: "The children would eat the sponge and leave the fruit. We thought the best thing was to go back to the children to create desserts they would like to eat."

A class at Byerley Park was asked to take part in a workshop to come up with ideas for puddings that would appeal to fellow pupils.

The winning designs were a fruit bread by Ollie Shotton, a cheesecake by Katie Longstaff and a cornflake tart by Rebekah Mawson.

Rebekah, 11, said: "The cornflake tart was my favourite dessert before but it didn't have any fruit in it. I wanted to make it more healthy and now it has peach in it and strawberry jam."

Kirk Merrington Primary School pupils were enlisted to cook and test out the dishes while children at Stanhope Barrington CE Primary School wrote poems and designed posters to promote them.

Ms Walker added: "It's important the desserts are as healthy as we can get them. if children in this school enjoy them the chances are that other children elsewhere will enjoy them too."