There are few places as cosy and inviting as libraries. But The Library Bakery, a new hole-in-the-wall spot in Brunswick, comes pretty close.

The new shop is the work of director Aileen Seo, head baker Paul Kwon and culinary director Jiho Sur – the trio behind beloved North Melbourne spot Baguette Studios.

Much like their first venue – which is known for crusty French-style baguettes and Korean-inspired specials like the pine nut-topped kouign-amann and the yakwa (Korean honey cookies) – the team’s new Brunswick bakery primarily draws influence from these two countries.

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Seo, who previously worked as a pastry chef at Maha, developed all the bread and pastries alongside her husband Kwon (ex-The Press Club) and brother Sur, who previously worked in pastry teams at hotels including the Park Hyatt and Crown Melbourne.

The name, as Seo explains, reflects the team’s desire to create a large variety of bread, or “a library of flavours”. Goods on offer include pretzel baguettes, pumpkin scones and salted chocolate cookies. But the signature is “the book”, a pastry that Seo says is inspired by the peanut butter bread she loved as a child, referring to a South Korean bread filled with peanut butter cream. The book is a laminated pastry shaped like a book left open, that includes peanut cream, crushed peanuts, salted caramel and layers of laminated pastry that mimic the pages of a book.

The team collaborated with branding designer Henry Ro and furniture designer Brandon Harrison to create a minimal yet inviting space. Pastel purple and turquoise stools line one side of the rectangular-shaped store, while white walls and industrial-like flooring leave the eyes to focus on the freshly baked pastries on display.

The Library Bakery
457 Lygon Street, Brunswick East

Hours:
Sat & Sun 9am–2.30pm (or until sold-out)
@tlb_melbourne