A baker from Manchester has won runner-up in this year’s Worker of the Year 2014 awards.

Louise Jones, owner of Jellytots and Dollymixtures bakery, supplies cakes to Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, and set up the business after being unable to find employment.

The awards are run by Dickies Europe, workwear manufacturer, which claims the competition searches for workers who exemplify what doing a good job is all about.

Jones said: “I’m amazed to have finished as runner-up in this year’s competition. When I got to judging day and stood beside some of the hardest workers in the country, I never thought for one minute I’d be acknowledged for my hard work. It still hasn’t really sunk in. I can’t believe it.”

Maurice Morton, sales and marketing director at Dickies, said: “Congratulations to all our entrants this year. All seven finalists were brilliant and it was one of the toughest choices we’ve had to make. Louise should be incredibly proud of what she has achieved and she made choosing a winner for this year’s competition more difficult than ever.”