Just over 150 people attended the event at Invercargill's Scottish Hall, with organisers already seeking out a bigger venue for 2019 to cope with the added demand.
The lunch is held to provide meals for those who may not be able to afford a Christmas lunch, and Mr Shadbolt said it was one of his personal highlights of the year.
''It's of fantastic importance to the city because it symbolises caring, sharing, looking after each other and having a good time together and that's important because a lot of people haven't got families or are new to the area so often Christmas can be a lonely time. So this helps in its own way to overcome that.''
Event organisers Teressa Laughton and Linda Howard said it was the biggest turnout they had ever seen for the event.
They said plans were already in place for 2019 with the hope of moving it to ILT Stadium in order to attract larger numbers.
Tickets to the event were shared throughout 16 different community organisations to give out to those in need of a Christmas lunch, with food and money being donated by a variety of Southland businesses.
