Passengers on the 10.25am service from London St Pancras were welcomed on board with a special announcement from Blanc, who then hosted the tasting alongside his very own sommelier from Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Arnaud Goubet.

Travellers in all classes were served three types of champagne to sip one by one guided by leading wine expert and sommelier Goubet. Passengers were also given a slice of Opera cake selected by Raymond Blanc to complement the champagne.

Shortly after the tasting finished on UK tracks, the official Guinness World Records adjudicator raised her glass to announce to passengers that a new record title had been set for the largest champagne tasting event, with 515 people taking part.

Blanc said: “I’m honoured to have been on board this special service to celebrate Eurostar’s 20th Anniversary and set a new world record.”

The tasting also marks two years since Eurostar and Blanc joined forces to transform the on board dining experience for passengers. Blanc works with each of Eurostar’s three kitchens to create seasonal menus combining the best of British and French cuisine and featuring sustainable ingredients of local provenance.

Eurostar director Marc Noaro said: “This marked the start of our 20th anniversary celebrations and we’re delighted to have shared this special occasion with our passengers.

“With a leap in passenger numbers to 145m, as well as the introduction of new routes and new destinations, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate this year.”

Established in 1994, Eurostar links St Pancras International, Ebbsfleet International, Ashford International, Paris, Brussels, Lille, Calais, Disneyland Resort Paris, Avignon and the French Alps.

The current Eurostar train was first introduced into service in 1994 carrying 750 passengers and operating at speeds of up to 300kph.  Since then, the fleet of 28 trains has carried more than 130 million passengers between London and the Continent.