The head chef of the Burlington Restaurant at The Devonshire Arms Hotel & Spa, Bolton Abbey, has been awarded first place in the Bocuse d'Or National Selection chef competition.

Adam Smith now has the opportunity to compete in the grand final of the Bocuse d'Or in 2015.

Chefs in the competition, at the Hotel Olympia, London, were given one and a half hours to prepare a fish and a meat dish with three different hot garnishes, five portions of each suitable to decorate a chicken ballotine.

Mr Smith’s dish was a garnish of black leg chicken with Alsace bacon and foie gras, truffled egg, cabbage puree and new season pea mousse, langoustine and celeriac, a leek and cauliflower stack, golden beetroot with wild garlic.

A former Roux scholar, he joined the Burlington Restaurant in June 2013. He was presented with the Bocuse d'Or trophy and a winner's plate from Villeroy & Boch.

Bocuse d'Or is a prestigious cooking competition for professional chefs. Created by chefs, for chefs, the Bocuse d’Or is a unique contest aimed at culinary perfection.

A springboard for culinary talents, the Bocuse d’Or contributes to exchanges amongst chefs all over the world and paves the way for a new culture of gastronomy.

Mr Smith said: “Overcoming such strong competition at the selection event was a great achievement for me, there were some very talented chefs involved.

“Having competed as a commis chef at the competition twice before gave me a better understanding of the standards and style expected and ultimately helped with the end result. “I am really proud to have been selected.”

Winner of The Observer’s Young Chef of The Year Award 2012, Mr Smith has created new and innovative menus at the Burlington Restaurant including the launch of a new signature afternoon tea.