An Isle of Wight school student is celebrating after claiming second in a national bake off-style competition, with more than 3,000 competitors.

Cowes Enterprise College (CEC) student Manuel Palom took home second place, following a high-stakes final at Birmingham City’s football stadium, St Andrews.

He finished just behind a pupil from Broadland High Ormiston Academy in Norfolk.

The final of the competition, put on by Ormiston Academy Trust (OAT) which runs CEC, was watched by parents, staff, and other students.

Over the past nine months, over 3,000 students across 37 of OAT’s academies across England have been competing for the top prize in the Great Ormiston Bake.

Celebrity chef Tom Kerridge helped to launch the competition back in September 2022, and Michelin star chef Robert Thompson supported the Trust team in selecting the winners for each region.

The national baking competition has been organised as a way for the Trust to be able to bring students and staff from across their network of academies together.

Dan Woods, Lead Practitioner for Food and Design & Technology at Ormiston Academies Trust, said: “Across each of our academies, our students have really shown a love for baking and so we thought it would be great to introduce a Trust-wide initiative that would bring everyone together to celebrate this passion, and encourage our young people to get involved in an activity that was good for their wellbeing.

“Since its launch, it has been so fantastic to see the outpour of support and enthusiasm for the competition from students and staff."