Liam Pitchford and Aaron McKibbin may well be looking for the recipe for success in Paris this summer – and an appearance on Great British Menu has certainly whetted their appetite.

The duo were among the guests at a banquet in honour of Team GB and Paralympics GB for the hit BBC series.

The British Embassy in Paris was the opulent setting for the grandest of grand finales to the show’s latest series, as they were served a five-course meal prepared by chefs hand-picked from among the regional winners earlier in the series.

Ambassador Dame Menna Rawlings hosted the banquet, with 70 guests drawn from previous Olympic and Paralympic medal-winners, plus those who aspire to be on the podium in Paris this summer – including our very own Liam and Aaron.

Jessica Ennis-Hill, Colin Jackson, Katherine Grainger and Mary Peters were among the legends mingling with current stars from the likes of sailing, wheelchair rugby, hockey and fencing, as well as table tennis.

Presenter Andi Oliver set the scene as the chefs overcame the challenges and stresses of preparing a feast fit for sporting gods – including serving the first course on the Eurostar service which transported all the guests between capital cities.

Courses served in the Embassy were inspired by the Olympics’ Grecian heritage and French cuisine, the Olympic rings and the Olympic flame, using the finest ingredients and with almost as much effort put into presentation. Four chefs each devised and prepared one of the courses.

And as if that was not enough pressure for the chefs to absorb, series judges Tom Kerridge and Ed Gamble were also among the guests as diners voted for their favourite course – and the chef with the most votes would be named the series’ champion of champions.

No spoilers here, although Liam did let slip that his vote was cast for the dessert course.

He said: “It was a good experience and something we’d never experienced before. Just being around so many top athletes before the Olympics made it all special.

“The whole Team GB vibe was nice, with all the athletes that are probably going to Paris of had already won Olympic gold medals.

“It was great food, a little bit different to what I would usually eat, but it was a really high standard and I enjoyed all the courses. I’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth, so I went for the dessert as my vote.”

Three-time Paralympic medallist Aaron said: “It was a really good day, something we’ve never experienced before. With the next Paralympics being in Paris, it was nice to be there leading up to the Games.

“Just a great day, to be surrounded by other top athletes, experiencing Michelin-star food, being sent to the British Embassy which was a cool experience.

“We were pretty much treated like royalty all day, so I think me and Pitch both really enjoyed it and it’s one of those things we’ll never do again, so it was nice to take part in it.”