Compass & Alex Makes Meals: How the NGV is helping address Melbourne food security
Since July, we’ve been quietly testing something new in Melbourne’s inner south – and it’s working.
Alex Makes Meals has partnered with Compass’ Restaurant Associates team at the NGV kitchen to cook and donate around 50 ready-to-heat meals every week for people doing it tough. These meals head straight out through trusted local partners to reach residents facing food insecurity, unstable housing and limited cooking facilities.
How the partnership works
Every Tuesday, the Restaurant Associates team at NGV cooks a batch of homestyle, ready-to-heat meals. On Wednesday mornings, Alex Makes Meals delivers them to our distribution partners, who get them straight into the hands of people who need support that week – and into freezers as emergency back-up stock.
The impact so far
In the first 10 weeks of the partnership, we’ve:
Delivered around 493 meals
Averaged 50 meals per delivery
Supported two key outreach sites:
Salvation Army: The Well
Better Health Network via PPCG’s Share the Food program
Using a conservative equivalent meal price of $10.50, this represents about $5,071 in direct economic value to the community over the reporting period – or roughly $25,000 per year if we hold the same pace.
Who these meals are reaching
Our primary distribution pathway is through Better Health Network (BHN), a community health provider working with vulnerable residents across Melbourne’s inner south. Via PPCG’s Share the Food program, BHN supports people:
Experiencing food insecurity
Living in unstable or overcrowded housing
With limited access to kitchen facilities or cooking equipment
Why this model works
From our early review, a few strengths stand out:
Consistency – Weekly deliveries create a predictable supply of meals that partners can plan around.
Fit-for-purpose meals – Ready-to-heat, single portions work well in environments where storage and cooking options are limited.
Clear labelling – Ingredients, dates and reheating instructions help build trust and support people with dietary needs.
