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Australia is a nation of sandwich lovers. Slap anything between two slices of bread – from chicken schnitty and tinned tuna to good old ham and cheese – and it’s bound to be a hit. But in Western Australia, one sandwich rules them all – and surprisingly, the other half of the nation (likely) hasn’t even heard of it.
The sandwich in question is the ‘conti roll’. Short for continental roll, this Perth staple sub consists of a long, crusty roll stuffed with mixed deli meats (typically mortadella, coppa and salami), slices of cheese and antipasti-style pickled vegetables. It’s quite the mouthful, but a darn delicious one.
While the conti roll looks and tastes Italian, it was actually born in Northbridge – Perth’s inner-city Italian hub. Its origin story dates back to the early 1950s and is closely tied to two local delis founded by Italian immigrants. Some say it all began with the Di Chiera Brothers, who sold panini from their grocery store that opened in 1953 (and reopened in late 2024 after an eight-year hiatus). Meanwhile, others credit The Re Store, established by the Re family in 1936, as the birthplace of the iconic roll.
General manager of The Re Store, Moreno Berti, shares his side of the story: “The idea for the conti roll came from [founder] John Re watching customers on a Saturday morning – they would get a cornetto bread roll (shaped like a cross), break it open and fill it with sliced meats they’d just bought from the deli. John thought this was a great opportunity to increase sales but also to use up the ends of the salami, coppa, mortadella and leg hams, solving the problem of waste.”
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The Re Store’s original conti roll was a simple mix of meats and cheese, quickly winning over Italian-Australian labourers in the neighbourhood. When the cross-shaped roll became too expensive, John swapped it for a banana-shaped roll – and it’s stayed that way ever since. The only thing that’s changed is the name. Originally called panini Italiano, locals quickly gave it a nickname – as Aussies do – and thus, the conti roll was born.
Today, Perth residents travel across the city for one of The Re Store’s legendary conti rolls. Their Northbridge and Leederville stores each sell around 600 rolls per day, made to order with whole hams, salamis and other cured meats, plus antipasti like sliced peppers, melanzane and artichokes.
What do customers love about the conti roll? “Overly generous servings, fresh ingredients and quality at a fair price,” Berti says. Really, it’s that simple – and that good.
In North Perth, the Di Chiera Brothers Continental Store has reopened, serving their classic continental roll stacked with mixed meats, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and melanzane in a freshly baked roll. Other local favourites include The Panini Bar in Morley, Angelo Street Market in South Perth, Montello on Main in Osborne Park, and Galati & Sons in Fremantle.
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