The cost of the lunch held in August was more than three times that of the council's Iftar Interfaith dinner, which was held a month before with 300 guests and a bill of just $13,500.

Details of the costly Porkgate affair were revealed in the Community and Culture Report given to Liverpool Council during its ordinary meeting last week.

The report revealed 591 guests, including more than 65 entertainers, turned up for the interfaith lunch at the Liverpool Catholic Club.

At $45,698, the cost of the lunch was more than the budget for the whole 2015/16 year for interfaith events and the blowout required the council to approve additional funds to cover the costs.

In addition to formal invitations issued by councillors with community knowledge, invites were issued "through word of mouth in local churches, as was reflected in the number of unexpected attendees", the report said.

The council did not ask for address details or postcodes from those attending so it could not be ascertained how many were from the local government area.

A council spokesperson has said that councillors have now requested staff to provide a new council policy relating to all aspects of conducting civic events.

Liverpool deputy mayor Tony Hadchiti said with a new policy being drawn up, he hoped future events would be better managed.

The Porkgate scandal erupted after the Macedonian community expressed concerns that their traditional and important pork dish was being left off the menu for the interfaith lunch. They were particularly upset because it was an Orthodox event and they wanted to share their special dishes with others

But the Liverpool City Council offended not only the Orthodox Macedonian community by leaving pork off the menu but it then also offended some Hindus because beef was left on the menu.

When the furore erupted over the menu, the council put pork back on the menu, took the beef off and offered other choices of chicken and vegetarian.