Desert Island Stores: Marisa Poster, co-founder of PerfectTed
In his latest Desert Island Stores interview, Glynn Davis chats with Marisa Poster, co-founder of matcha brand PerfectTed.
The store you remember from childhood?
Subscribe to TRBEli Zabar on 80th and 3rd [New York City]. As a child it felt absolutely enormous, like entering a food wonderland. You’d walk in through the flower section first, which made it instantly sensory and theatrical, then take the escalator up into this freezing cold food hall where there was discovery everywhere you looked. It felt very New York in the best way: bustling, overwhelming, indulgent, and incredibly curated all at once.
What I remember most is how aspirational it felt. Eli’s wasn’t just a grocery store, it was an institution. This very specific Upper East Side version of food sophistication. The prepared foods counters, the pastries, the breads, and the tiny details everywhere. Even the pineapple somehow tasted better there than anywhere I’ve had it since, which still makes no sense to me. And there was this roasted cauliflower dish I still think about.
I was obsessed with their iced cookies (like their iconic NYC subway metro card cookies), probably my first taste of what I’d later love about places like Biscuiteers in London. But what stayed with me was the feeling of discovery: food retail as something emotional, experiential, and cultural rather than functional. Closer to the markets of Europe than a supermarket, which makes sense knowing Eli was inspired by London and Paris. One of those truly quintessential New York institutions, woven into the identity of the city itself.
Most inspirational store to your career?
Holland & Barrett. They took a chance on us when almost no one else would. We were young, unknown, and asking a major health retailer to give shelf space to a brand nobody had heard of. They didn’t lead with scepticism about our age or experience – they looked at the product, believed in what matcha could do, and backed us. That kind of early conviction from a retailer changes everything. It gives you proof of concept, credibility with every buyer who comes after, and, most importantly, belief in yourself. Years on, PerfectTed is still one of their best-performing products in the category. I’ll never forget that they were one of our first champions.
Most frequently used store?
Probably Zapp at the moment! I use on-demand grocery delivery embarrassingly often – partly because start-up life has completely destroyed my concept of a normal grocery shop, and partly because I’m obsessed with productivity and protecting time.
I also love that they always seem to have new products and interesting finds, plus a genuinely great selection of produce. If I suddenly want cold pineapple, an avocado, sparkling water, or ingredients for one very specific craving, it just appears at the door in minutes. And, of course, they stock PerfectTed in pretty much every format, which definitely helps in moments of personal crisis when I run out at home.
The store you wished you’d created?
Probably Erewhon. I think what’s so impressive about Erewhon is that they managed to turn grocery retail into culture. It’s not just somewhere people shop – it’s somewhere people aspire to be associated with. They’ve built this incredibly strong identity where wellness, food, fashion, hospitality, and status all intersect.
I also really admire how experiential and discovery-led it feels. You go in for one thing and end up finding 10 products you’ve never seen before. As someone building a brand in food and wellness, I think what they’ve achieved from a category-building and brand perspective is incredibly impressive.
Your overall favourite store?
Probably Target. It’s genuinely a nostalgic place for me. At summer camp we were barely ever allowed off the premises, but once each summer they’d take us to Target and at the time that felt like the most exciting outing on earth.
That’s honestly where my whole fascination with retail and consumer products started. I loved wandering the aisles just taking everything in. Food, clothing, furniture, beauty, and accessories. The category didn’t matter, I found the products and the merchandising endlessly interesting.
What I really admire is how Target keeps evolving. They’ve remained an iconic American retailer while constantly reinventing themselves, especially in wellness, health food, and the latest cultural trends. It was a destination then and is a destination now. Not just somewhere you stop, and objectively, the clothing section is fantastic.
The store you’d like to take to the desert island?
Am I allowed to say the PerfectTed webstore? Ha. Honestly though…I can’t imagine surviving out there without our matcha.
