<PAGE>

                                                                     Exhibit 4.4

                               Associate-Patron
                            Subordination Agreement
                      (Subordination of Required Deposit)


     The undersigned Associate-Patron of Unified Western Grocers, Inc. ("Unified
Western") acknowledges that pursuant to the APPLICATION AND AGREEMENT FOR
SERVICE AFFILIATION AS AN ASSOCIATE-PATRON WITH UNIFIED WESTERN GROCERS, INC.
AND PLEDGE AND SECURITY AGREEMENT ("Membership Agreement") executed by the
undersigned and pursuant to Unified Western's Bylaws and its rules, regulations
and policies for the servicing of accounts, the undersigned is required to
maintain a deposit account or deposit accounts with Unified Western in at least
such amount (the "Required Deposit") as may from time to time be established by
Unified Western.

     In consideration of financial accommodation given, to be given or continued
to be given to the undersigned by Unified Western and in consideration of
Unified Western's servicing of the undersigned's account and in compliance with
rules and regulations for the servicing of accounts as established by Unified
Western, the undersigned agrees:

          (A) that any and all deposit accounts which the undersigned now has or
     may in the future have with Unified Western are and shall be partially
     subordinated deposit account(s) ("Deposit Account" or "Deposit Accounts")
     which shall in all respects except as modified by this Subordination
     Agreement continue to be governed by and subject to the Membership
     Agreement and all provisions thereof regarding deposits and deposit
     accounts; and

          (B) that all Deposit Accounts of the undersigned are non-transferable
     without the consent of Unified Western, which will normally be withheld,
     and may be withheld in Unified Western's absolute discretion, and have been
     and are hereby assigned and pledged to Unified Western as security for the
     full and prompt payment and performance of any and all contracts,
     agreements, obligations or liabilities of the undersigned, or any of them,
     to Unified Western, or any of its subsidiaries, existing at any time,
     including but not limited to full and prompt compliance by the undersigned,
     and each of them, with any and all requirements and obligations regarding
     the use, care and return of equipment and other property of Unified
     Western, or any of its subsidiaries, now or hereafter in the possession or
     under the control of the undersigned, or any of them.

     Further, in consideration of financial accommodation given, to be given or
continued to be given to the undersigned by Unified Western, and in
consideration of Unified Western's servicing of the undersigned's account, and
in consideration of the providing of financing to Unified Western by the holders
of Senior Indebtedness as hereinafter defined, and in order to induce such
financing, the undersigned agrees that that portion of each Deposit Account
which consists of the Required Deposit shall be subordinate and subject in right
of payment, to the extent and in the manner hereinafter set forth, to the prior
payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness.  "Senior Indebtedness" means all
indebtedness, liabilities or obligations of

                                       1
<PAGE>

Unified Western, contingent or otherwise, whether existing on the date of
execution of this Subordination Agreement or thereafter incurred, (A) in respect
of borrowed money; (B) evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or other
instruments of indebtedness; (C) evidenced by letters of credit, bankers'
acceptances or similar credit instruments; (D) in respect of Capitalized Lease
Obligations; (E) in respect of the deferred purchase price of property or assets
(whether real, personal, tangible or intangible) or in respect of any mortgage,
security agreement, title retention agreement or conditional sale contract; (F)
in respect of any interest rate swap agreement, interest rate collar agreement
or other similar agreement or arrangement designed to provide interests rate
protection; (G) in respect of all indebtedness, liabilities or obligations of
others of any of the types referred to in clauses (A) through (F) for which
Unified Western is responsible or liable as obligor, guarantor or otherwise or
in respect of which recourse may be had against any of the property or assets
(whether real, personal, tangible or intangible) of Unified Western; and (H) in
respect of all modifications, renewals, extensions, replacements and refundings
of any indebtedness, liabilities or obligations of any of the types described in
clauses (A) through (G); provided, however, that the term "Senior Indebtedness"
shall not mean any indebtedness, liabilities or obligations of Unified Western,
contingent or otherwise, whether existing on the date of execution of this
Subordination Agreement or thereafter incurred, (i) to trade creditors arising
or incurred in the ordinary course of Unified Western's business, (ii) in
respect of any redemption, repurchase or other payments on capital stock, (iii)
in respect of Patrons' Deposits, or (iv) in respect of Patronage Dividend
Certificates.

     For purposes of the foregoing definition, "Capitalized Lease Obligations"
means the discounted present value of the rental obligations of any person or
entity under any lease of any property which, in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles, has been recorded on the balance sheet of such
person or entity as a capitalized lease; "Patrons' Deposits" means the deposits
from time to time required to be made or maintained with Unified Western by its
patrons or customers in accordance with the Bylaws of Unified Western in effect
from time to time or in accordance with the policies for the servicing of
accounts of patrons or customers established from time to time by Unified
Western, and any deposits from time to time made or maintained with Unified
Western by its patrons or customers in excess of such required deposits; and
"Patronage Dividend Certificates" means any notes, revolving fund certificates,
retain certificates, certificates of indebtedness, patronage dividend
certificates or any other written evidences of indebtedness of Unified Western
at any time outstanding which evidence the indebtedness of Unified Western
respecting the distribution by Unified Western of patronage dividends.

     That portion of each Deposit Account which consists of the Required Deposit
shall be subordinate and junior in right of payment to all Senior Indebtedness
in the following respects:

          (1)  In the event of any insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings, and any
     receivership, liquidation, reorganization, arrangement or other similar
     proceedings in connection therewith, relative to Unified Western or to its
     creditors, as such, or to its property or assets (whether real, personal,
     tangible or intangible), or in the event of any proceedings for voluntary
     liquidation, dissolution or other winding up of Unified Western, whether or
     not involving insolvency or bankruptcy, then the holders of

                                       2
<PAGE>

     Senior Indebtedness shall be entitled to receive payment in full of all
     Senior Indebtedness (whether accrued prior or subsequent to the
     commencement of such case or proceedings) before the undersigned is
     entitled to receive any payment with respect to that portion of any Deposit
     Account which consists of the Required Deposit, and to that end (but
     subject to the power of a court of competent jurisdiction to make other
     equitable provision reflecting the rights conferred herein upon the Senior
     Indebtedness and the holders thereof with respect to that portion of any
     Deposit Account which consists of the Required Deposit and the undersigned
     by a lawful plan of reorganization under applicable bankruptcy law) the
     holders of Senior Indebtedness shall be entitled to receive for application
     in payment thereof any payment or distribution of any kind or character,
     whether in cash or property or securities, or by set off or otherwise,
     which may be payable or deliverable in any such proceedings in respect of
     that portion of any Deposit Account which consists of the Required Deposit
     (other than securities which are subordinate and junior in right of
     payment, at least to the extent provided herein with respect to the
     Required Deposit, to the payment of all Senior Indebtedness then
     outstanding) and the undersigned irrevocably authorizes and empowers such
     holders of Senior Indebtedness to demand, sue for, collect and receive any
     such payment or distribution and to receipt therefor, and to file all such
     claims and take all such action, in the name of the undersigned or
     otherwise, as such holders of Senior Indebtedness may determine to be
     necessary or appropriate for the enforcement of these subordination
     provisions, and the undersigned will also execute and deliver such
     instruments confirming such authorizations and such powers of attorney,
     proofs of claim, assignments of claim and other instruments as may be
     requested by such holders of Senior Indebtedness in order to enable such
     holders to enforce any and all claims upon or in respect of that portion of
     any Deposit Account which consists of the Required Deposit; and upon any
     such insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings, receivership, liquidation,
     reorganization, arrangement or other similar proceedings, or voluntary
     liquidation, dissolution or other winding up, any payment or distribution
     of assets of Unified Western of any kind or character, whether in cash,
     property or securities or by set off or otherwise (other than securities
     which are subordinate and junior in right of payment, at least to the
     extent provided herein with respect to the Required Deposit, to the payment
     of all Senior Indebtedness then outstanding) to which the undersigned would
     be entitled, except for the provisions hereof, shall be paid by Unified
     Western or by any receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, liquidating trustee,
     agent or other person making such payment or distribution directly to the
     holders of Senior Indebtedness (pro rata to each such holder on the basis
     of the respective amounts of Senior Indebtedness held by such holder) or
     their representatives, to the extent necessary to pay all Senior
     Indebtedness in full, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or
     distribution to or for the holders of Senior Indebtedness;

          (2)  In the event that any default shall occur and be continuing with
     respect to the payment of Senior Indebtedness, unless payment in full shall
     have first been made on all Senior Indebtedness or such default with
     respect to such Senior Indebtedness shall have been cured or waived in
     accordance with the terms of such Senior Indebtedness, no payment shall be
     made with respect to that portion of any Deposit

                                       3
<PAGE>

     Account which consists of the Required Deposit (including any such payment
     which would cause such default and including any payment in connection with
     the acquisition by Unified Western of the Required Deposit for cash or
     property other than capital stock of Unified Western); and

          (3)  In the event that any default (other than those referred to in
     paragraph (2) above shall occur and be continuing with respect to any
     Senior Indebtedness permitting the holders of such Senior Indebtedness to
     accelerate the maturity thereof, unless payment in full shall have first
     been made on all Senior Indebtedness or such default with respect to such
     Senior Indebtedness shall have been cured or waived in accordance with the
     terms of such Senior Indebtedness, all payments with respect to that
     portion of any Deposit Account which consists of the Required Deposit
     (including any such payment which would cause such default and including
     any payment in connection with the acquisition by Unified Western of the
     Required Deposit for cash or property other than capital stock of Unified
     Western) shall be suspended during any period:

               (a) of 180 days after the giving of written notice of such
          default by the holders of Senior Indebtedness to Unified Western;
          provided, that only one such notice shall be given pursuant to this
          clause (3)(a) in any 12 consecutive months; or

               (b) in which judicial proceedings shall be pending in respect of
          such default, a notice of acceleration of the maturity of such Senior
          Indebtedness shall have been transmitted to Unified Western in respect
          of such default and such judicial proceedings shall be diligently
          pursued in good faith.

     In the event that any payment or other distribution is made to or received
by the undersigned in contravention of the provisions of paragraphs (1), (2)
and/or (3) above, then such payment or other distribution shall be held by the
undersigned for the benefit of, and shall be paid over and delivered to, the
holders of Senior Indebtedness (pro rata as their interests shall appear) or to
their representative or the trustee under the indenture or other agreement (if
any) pursuant to which Senior Indebtedness may have been issued, for application
to the payment of all Senior Indebtedness remaining unpaid to the extent
necessary to pay all Senior Indebtedness then due and payable in accordance with
its terms, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or distribution to or
for the holders of Senior Indebtedness.

                                       4
<PAGE>

     The undersigned Associate-Patron has duly executed this Subordination
Agreement this date and by such execution agrees that each and all of the
covenants, terms and provisions of this Subordination Agreement shall be
effective and binding on the undersigned Associate-Patron from and after this
date.


Dated:________________

     _____________________________________
     Associate-Patron


     By:  _________________________________

     Its:  ____________________________

                                       5