A method of manufacturing a fan blade for a gas turbine engine. The method includes providing a compression mould having an internal mould surface corresponding to an outer profile of a fan blade, providing opposing first and second laminates to form a shell corresponding to the mould surface, each laminate comprising a lay-up of plies of fibre reinforcement material, applying a core material comprising quasi-isotropic short fibre reinforced resin in the compression mould so that with the compression mould in a moulding configuration the core material is enclosed by the shell, the core material and the shell forming a pre-form for the fan blade, applying pressure to compress the pre-form so that it conforms to the mould surface, and applying heat to cure the pre-form.