Smith beat seven other finalists in the competition, organised by the Craft Guild of Chefs (CGC) to the title, by wowing judges with his three dishes -herb pappardelle, prawn scallop and caviar; best end of lamb and lambs' sweetbreads with squash, baby pumpkin and kale and Amaretto pannacotta with wine-poached plums - produced in just two hours.
At the awards ceremony at The Restaurant Show at Earls Court 2 yesterday, David Mulcahy, CGC vice president and competition organiser praised all the entrants for providing 'fantastic entertainment' and for being of such high calibre.
"It's been a long day, but a great day for eight young people," he said. "They have done a fantastic job and wouldn't have been able to do it without the support of their employers, mentors and suppliers."
The Young National Chef of the Year is for 18-24 year old chefs who work in any sector of the industry and finalists are invited to take part by the CGC.
Along with the title Smith wins a host of prizes, including a work experience trip to Dubai and a Chef Skills Advanced Weekend.
Second place went to Andrew Postlethwaite of Castle Green Hotel in Cumbria and third place went to Dimitar Angelokovski of the Turnberry Resort in Ayrshire.
Other finalists were:
- Glen Noel, Ocean Restaurant at Atlantic Hotel, St Brelade, Jersey
- Brendan Baxter, Restaurant 23, County Down, Northern Ireland
- Rosita Nikolova, House of Commons, London
- Garret Keown, The Bell Inn, Horndon on the Hill, Essex
- Emily Webb, Royal Garden Hotel, London