19/03/2026
At our 80th anniversary celebration, we spent a lot of time reflecting on the people, businesses, and relationships that have helped shape Continental Kosher Butchers into what it is today.
Some of those relationships run so deep that they feel woven into the fabric of Jewish life in Melbourne. Peter Unger Catering is one of them.
Like Continental, the Unger story is a multi-generational one. It began with Herbert and Leah Unger in 1955, and today continues through Peter and his son Samuel. Three generations of Ungers, much like three generations of Lewises, carrying forward a family business built on hard work, consistency, and food that means something to people.
These kinds of businesses do more than feed a community. They help shape its culture. They become part of the smell of Yomtov, the taste of a simcha, the feeling of home. They stay relevant not by chasing trends, but by continuing to deliver quality with care, while evolving gently and thoughtfully with the times.
For our family, the relationship with the Ungers has always been personal as well as professional. They have catered many Lewis simchas over the years. I still remember the perfection of Peter’s Duck L’Orange at my wedding, and watching him expertly flip Crêpes Suzette at the dessert bar. Stephen and Peter have also been known to mark the end of a hard week with a well-earned Friday post-work whisky.
And one thing has always been true: you know when Unger is catering. It tastes heimish. It feels generous. And nobody leaves hungry.
It was special to have Peter and Sam with us at our 80th celebration. Businesses like theirs remind us that our story has never been built in isolation. It has grown alongside others who share the same commitment to community, continuity, and quality.
I was speaking with Sam earlier today about their newly launched website, which features an extensive range of appetising Pesach dishes and groceries and, of course, the best wurst in the world from yours truly. Check it out here: https://peterunger.com.au/collections/pesach?page=3
Here’s to shared history, to family businesses that help define Jewish Australian identity, and to many more celebrations to come.
