Getting to know May Wong - Founder of First Glance Coffee Roastery.
What's the story behind First Glance Coffee Roastery and how did it all start?
When we first launched by selling specialty coffee beans in high-end supermarkets, we introduced our first Hong Kong–inspired signature: Crème de Neapolitan. It quickly became a standout favourite — fondly remembered by many in Hong Kong — and rose to bestseller status during a major coffee festival. After winning hearts with Crème de Neapolitan, our coffee artisans returned to our roots to craft a new celebration of flavours.
Can you share more about your approach to sourcing and roasting coffee?
We want people to be able to enjoy something interesting and high-quality, even with a quick cup at home or in the office. That's why we start by drawing from Hong Kong's treasured tastes and locally inspired flavour ideas.
When we developed the concept of our Pineapple Fruit Tea, we selected quality green beans with related flavour notes. We chose Ethiopia as the base coffee and blended it with Colombia to enhance and strengthen those flavour notes. During roasting, we focus on achieving clarity and balance, resulting in a clean cup with distinct pineapple fruit tea notes and a refined, tea-like finish.
What motivated First Glance to explore the capsule coffee format?
"Wow — so we can brew a quality specialty coffee from a capsule machine?"
With MORNING, we dared to try something new in the world of specialty coffee capsules. That's why we created our first-ever specialty coffee capsule — designed to deliver both convenience and craftsmanship in every cup.
The coffee capsule format is a great entry point for newcomers to the specialty coffee world. We hope to welcome them with something exciting; Hong Kong-inspired flavours, while also giving specialty coffee lovers the freedom to enjoy that same café quality anywhere with our capsules and MORNING coffee capsule machines. We believe MORNING's specialty coffee capsule machines can take our capsules and the coffee industry as a whole to the next level.
Our Pineapple Fruit Tea capsule, inspired by the classic cha chaan teng beverage iced pineapple tea, reflects our vision. It bridges Hong Kong's beloved flavours with specialty coffee — making it accessible, portable, and globally enjoyable.
We all have our morning routines, and coffee is often a crucial part of it. What is your morning ritual like?
I usually sleep until the last minute, then head straight to the office. After that, I taste our roasted coffee and keep tracking its development against the roasting profile. And yes — coffee is my breakfast!
What are you most excited about right now and for the future of First Glance as a brand and business?
We're excited about sharing a taste of Hong Kong with the world. Through our coffee capsules, we hope people everywhere can experience a "first glance" of Hong Kong in every cup.
