On the menu were two hams, 25 legs of hogget, 30kg of potatoes, 25kg of carrots, 14kg of peas and 12kg of corn.
Then dessert - 18 pavlovas, 20 plum puddings and 10 litres of custard.
For the past 20 years, the Brown family have been serving Christmas dinner to Dunedin people at the Church of Christ Community in St Andrew St.
It all started when a member of the church commented to minister David Brown that there was no lunch service for people who were lonely at Christmas.
"For so many people Christmas was a lousy and lonely time," Mr Brown said, and he decided to do something about it.
"We were aware that the Salvation Army provided Christmas dinner for needy people - we were targeting ours for lonely people."
In the beginning, about 30 people came, but the event had grown to accommodate about 250, Mr Brown's wife, Jean, said.
A large team of volunteers, and donations of food, services and money, helped get food on tables and smiles on faces.
"It's the volunteers that make it. We just co-ordinate it," Mr Brown said.
The couple's children have always helped with the event and the family wear colourful floral shirts so they can be spotted in the throng of diners.
Those attending were full of praise for the Browns.
Some said they felt humbled to be a part of the day and would return next year.
Despite not having a moment to eat their own lunch and having to put family time on hold, the Browns had no plans to stop running the event.
