SCHOOLGIRLS were given a taste of life in the food business when Subway at Crompton Place shopping centre became a temporary classroom.

The 18 youngsters from Bolton Muslim Girls’ School got the chance to prepare and bake bread used to make Subway’s sandwiches.

The visit was arranged between the school’s gifted and talented enrichment officer, Rizwana Adam, and brothers Shuaib, Zubair and Awais Ishaq who hold the franchise for the Crompton Place store.

Ms Adam said: “T the school, our intention is to give the girls a wide perspective of what happens in the real world of work so we expand on what they learn in the classroom by fulfilling their potential further through a wide range of enrichment opportunities.

“In the past the girls have been to companies involved in areas such as engineering and science and the particular group we arranged to take to Subway are all very keen on food and its preparation and they will be studying this for their GCSEs.”

Before they “worked” in the shop, the girls called into Subway’s Newport Street branch to be shown the equipment used to bake the bread.

Ms Adam said: “The whole experience was very enjoyable and worthwhile and being able to visit Subway was a fantastic opportunity for the girls.”

One of those involved was 13-year-old Tasneem Badat, who lives in Bolton.

She said: “It was really fun and gave us a great insight into what life in the food business is like.

“I’m very interested in food and am thinking of making it my career when I leave school. One day I’d even like to have my own business.”

Zubair Ishaq of Subway in Crompton Place said: “It was a fantastic morning and we were pleased to welcome the girls and demonstrate to them how the bread is prepared for our sandwiches. We did a risk assessment at the start of the day and also told them about the importance of health and safety.

“Over at our shop in Crompton Place they were given the chance to work with the dough which went into the oven ready for them to pick up later when the bake had finished. I also gave them a little test on what they had learned.”

The Crompton Place franchise, which is the fifth store for the Ishaq brothers, was officially opened late last year.

Malcolm Angus, Crompton Place Manager, said: “It is terrific to see Zubair and his brothers working so hard to engage with the community which is important to us all at Crompton Place.”