Meal roster
A meal roster so the family can stop thinking about dinner
When friends all say “let me know if I can do anything”, a meal roster turns that into dinners on the doorstep. Add the nights, add the friends, and FairTurns shares the cooking out so nobody gets three lasagnes on one Tuesday.
Free, with no limit on people or dates. No card.
Everyone wants to help, and nobody knows which night
Hana and Josh brought twins home on a Thursday. By Saturday, Priya had twenty-two messages from friends, neighbours and Josh’s work offering to cook. Two of them turned up on Sunday with curries. Nobody came Monday. On Tuesday the fridge was full of shepherd’s pie and a well-meaning casserole was left on the step in the sun.
Meal rosters fall apart because the plan is spread across a group chat, a few texts and somebody’s notes app. The family ends up coordinating their own help, which is the one thing they don’t have the energy for, whether it’s a new baby, chemotherapy, a broken hip or the weeks after a funeral.
A roster puts one name against each night, lets friends say when they’re away, and gives the family a single link that answers “is anyone coming tonight?”
How FairTurns runs a meal roster
The nights you need
Add the dinner nights for the next four or six weeks, such as Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Each night is a date with a drop-off window, “5 till 6”.
One cook per night
Give the drop-off a headcount of 1, or 2 if one friend brings the main and another brings dessert and something for the lunchboxes.
Shared out by turns
Press Fill and each night goes to whoever has cooked the fewest, so the closest friends aren’t doing it all and the willing neighbour gets a turn.
Friends say when they’re away
Anyone away for a week marks it, and Fill skips them. You can mark it for friends who don’t want an account.
Add people by name
Paste the list of everyone who offered. Nobody needs an email address to be on the roster.
A link for the family
Send the public roster link to the family. They can see who’s coming tonight without signing in or replying to anyone.
Set it up
- 01
Start the roster
Create an organisation such as “Dinners for Hana and Josh” and a team called Dinner drop-off.
- 02
Add the helpers
Paste the names of everyone who offered, with emails if you have them.
- 03
Add the nights
Click each dinner night, set the drop-off time and choose Just this once, so the roster ends when the help is needed.
- 04
Fill
Press Fill and adjust by hand, for example putting the family’s best friend on the first night.
- 05
Share two links
Send the public roster link to the helpers and to the family.
When you want it to run itself
Pro emails each helper who has accepted an invitation a reminder before their night. If a friend can’t make it, they reply from the email, and FairTurns asks the next person in line to cook, so the family never has to hear about the change.
A$1 a month per organisation, paid 1 to 5 years at a time. See Pro and pricing
Good to know
- Three dinners a week for four to six weeks is plenty for most families. Ask about allergies once, and put “no nuts” or “dairy-free” in the team name so every cook sees it.
- Agree a drop-off window and a cool box at the door. Most families want food, not visitors, in the first weeks.
- Friends don’t book their own nights. You put them on, and they mark the nights they’re away. It’s a meal roster, not a sign-up sheet.
- Each night has a name and a time only, and the public link can be seen by anyone who has it. Keep the family’s address and health details out of it and send the address privately.
Questions
How is this different from a meal train?
A meal roster puts one friend on each night for you, sharing the nights out by turns and leaving off anyone who is away. Friends see their night on the link instead of choosing from a sign-up list.
How long should a meal roster run?
Four to six weeks suits a new baby or recovery from surgery. After a funeral, two or three weeks of dinners and then a lighter roster of visits often works well. Add only the nights you need, as single dates.
Can two people share a night?
Yes. Give the drop-off a headcount of 2, or make two positions, such as Main meal and Something sweet, so each night has both.
What if someone offers late?
Add them by name, then press Fill again. It only fills empty nights and never moves anyone already on, so the plan doesn’t change for anyone else.
Does the family need to do anything?
Nothing at all. Open the public roster link to see who is coming. There is nothing to install and nothing to sign in to.
Free templates and guides
Similar rosters
Family care roster
Visits, shopping and appointments for an ageing parent, shared between brothers, sisters and helpers.
Hospital visiting roster
A visitor each day for someone in hospital, rehab or aged care, shared between family and friends.
Food bank and community meals
Pick-up drivers, packers and a kitchen lead for food relief, with the right people on each job.