Popular Melbourne Vietnamese bakery Luke’s Bánh Mì has continued its domination of the city following the announcement of its sixth store, which will open its doors on June18.

To celebrate the newest location, which will be on Lonsdale Street in the Melbourne CBD, coloured bánh mì will be on offer – touted to be the first of their kind in Australia.

Inspired by a Vietnamese baking practice of using excess fruits and vegetables to naturally colour bread, Luke’s Bánh Mì has created limited-edition red, green and yellow baguettes using beetroot, kale and imperfect carrots. The initiative not only celebrates Vietnamese bakery culture but also helps local farmers find value in produce that may otherwise go unsold because it doesn’t meet strict retail appearance standards.

Third-generation baker and Luke’s Bánh Mì founder Luke Vu said the Lonsdale Street store marked a new era for the brand, and continued the legacy of innovation and adaptability of Vietnamese bakers before him.

“We’re proud to be working with Aussie farmers to create our colourful baguettes that not only look and taste great, but help tackle the issue of food waste,” Luke said.

Using fruit and vegetables in baking is a culinary innovation that first emerged in 2020 in Vietnam as a creative response to the COVID-19 pandemic, where Vietnamese bakers worked with local farmers to use excess dragon fruit they couldn’t export, saving them from financial ruin.

Using kale as a natural colouring ingredient creates a vibrant green baguette, while the addition of beetroot lends a deep red colour to the bageuette.

Luke’s Bánh Mì has evolved from a single suburban bakery into a multi-site quick service restaurant business in the space of five years.