Hong Kong 30 Under 30 2016

Co-founder, Moreish; account manager, GHC Asia

British-born, Hong Kong-based Fontaine Cheng is the force behind Moreish, a homegrown brand delivering handcrafted, gourmet versions of pineapple shortcakes (鳳梨酥 fung lei so), which come in the form of bite-sized morsels created using a Malaysian home recipe.

So how did it all begin for the PR pro? It actually started with her business partner, who also happens to be her other half, Malaysian native Wei Roberts. “Wei’s mom’s pineapple tarts changed my perception of these delightful morsels which, before trying her version, I didn’t really like,” Cheng explains. “Then when my partner started sharing them with his friends and colleagues, they kept asking where they could buy them from. This was what sparked it all.”

The two worked on developing Moreish for the Hong Kong market, from product creation and packaging design to branding, launching in mid-2016.

The ingredients are ethically sourced from all over the world. The pineapples come from small farms in Thailand, while premium French butter and Japanese flour are also used to create the shortcakes.

Alongside her work on Moreish, Cheng holds a position as an account manager at GHC Asia by day — but she says working on something you feel passionate about makes it easy. “When you want something enough, you’ll do whatever it takes to make it work. It’s all about balance, too.”

Her very first job? Waitressing at a Chinese restaurant in West London.