MEET the couple behind a successful frozen yoghurt franchise ­— offering a healthier alternative to ice-cream.

Syed Hassan and his wife Shaza Khalil are the masterminds behind Frurt ­— and own three stores, including a Bolton one which opened last year.

Parents to five children, the couple balance running their self-serve dessert parlour with bringing up their children.

Mr Hassan said: “About 10 years ago we saw this was massive all around the world and we wanted to get into it.

“I was self-employed in retail, I was working in the family business. “

Mrs Hassan was the former manager in a Zizzi’s restaurant for four years before starting the business with her husband.

She said: “As young Muslims, where do you go out in the evening? There is nowhere for people to go.

“People were not aware of us and we just used to explain to people what it was and why we are different from others.

“We had a look at places in the UK and the world to see who else was doing something similar but found that not many in the UK existed at the time, except in London.”

Since opening, Frurt has won many awards, including the Entrepreneur of the Year and the Best Dessert Parlour.

Although initially unsure, people have come to enjoy what the self-serve dessert bar has to offer.

Mr Hassan said: “This is healthier than eating ice-cream, and a lot of parents who come in say they prefer to give their children frozen yoghurt."

Mr Hassan originally went to university to do media studies, while Mrs Hassan took up economics, however, both dropped out in their second year.

Mrs Hassan said: “I worked at places like Pizza Hut when I was 15 and moved up to supervisor quickly.

“My mum passed away when I was five, and my Dad was always very encouraging, and we have never followed a culture."