Meet the trustees

SHANE HOLLAND (CHAIR OF TRUSTEES)

How long have you been a trustee of Borough Market?

Four years.

What’s your day job?

I’m chair of Slow Food UK. I campaign and advocate for food and farming.

What inspires you to volunteer as a trustee?

I volunteer because it matters. My day job means I work with producers, retailers and the public, from those who obsess over food to those who feel excluded. I hope I bring all those viewpoints to the board.

What’s the most valuable skill for a trustee to have?

Remembering the market has been here for a thousand years, and it will still be here for the next thousand. So the ability to make decisions for the long term rather than just today.

What’s the one thing you think everyone should know about Borough Market?

That Borough Market is for EVERYONE.

What’s your favourite meal to cook at home?

Depends very much on the time of year and what’s eating well. If it’s spring I want squeaky broad beans slipped from their velvet cocoons and pan fried with smoked bacon; in autumn I’m eating pheasant with garlic-spiked cannellini beans, sautéed mushrooms with preserved lemon and a slick of mustardy cognac sauce. I guess the theme here is beans! I eat them fresh, dried, tinned. Even baked beans. Though never the ones with the blue label. Far too sweet.

What are your three must-have desert island items?

A Le Creuset pan – it really does cook food better. An unlimited supply of dried beans of every hue and variety. And lemons. Lemons will lift the flavour of just about everything. Good cooking comes from buying good ingredients and adding just a dash of something either acidic, salty, or rich in umami.

CLAIRE PRITCHARD (VICE CHAIR)

How long have you been a trustee of Borough Market?

Nearly eight years.

What’s your day job?

CEO of Greenwich Co-operative Development Agency.

What inspires you to volunteer as a trustee?

To begin with my motivation was about playing a role in an iconic food market that endeavours to support sustainable food systems by celebrating the highest quality food and the highest quality producers. Over my time here, that ‘why’ has stayed the same, but I’m also motivated by how much I have learned and continue to learn, and how much I enjoy working with such a wide range of talented and passionate people, from the staff team and traders to my fellow trustees.

What’s the most valuable skill for a trustee to have?

Understanding strategy and how it translates to delivery.

What’s the one thing you think everyone should know about Borough Market?

That you should give yourself enough time when you shop so that you can visit more than just your usual haunts.

What’s your favourite meal to cook at home?

Crispy fried aubergine because even non-aubergine eaters love it.

What are your three must-have desert island items?

My bicycle (if it’s a big island with flat beaches), an all-purpose tool and a string of garlic.

MICHELLE LAM

How long have you been a trustee of Borough Market?

Just over two years.

What’s your day job?

I work in the housing sector as a property services finance manager supporting the delivery of maintenance and long-term investment for over 100,000 homes.

What inspires you to volunteer as a trustee?

Borough Market has always been special to me. Since my first job, working just around the corner, I haven’t strayed very far. When an opportunity came up to be a trustee, I wanted to be part of the Market’s future. Every person I have met here is incredibly passionate and proud about being part of this place, and I want to ensure we continue to reach people in the same way.

What’s the most valuable skill for a trustee to have?

Listening. There are so many people who are invested in Borough Market, so it’s important to understand the perspectives of others and take these into consideration.

What’s the one thing you think everyone should know about Borough Market?

There’s more than meets the eye. Only as a trustee have I found out about the underground labyrinth that runs underneath the Market. Also, Borough Market is a charity, so we have a charitable purpose to provide a market for the public benefit. Sorry, that’s two!  

What’s your favourite meal to cook at home?

Pho ga, a Vietnamese chicken noodle soup that brings me back to my childhood. It’s comforting and nourishing and instantly makes me feel better.

What are your three must-have desert island items?

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons is a book I can pick up and read over and over again. A radio, as I’d like know that there’s still somebody out there. And emergency biscuits – chocolate digestives preferably. 

EVA GEORGE

How long have you been a trustee of Borough Market?

About three years.

What’s your day job?

I’m a civil servant at the Department for Business and Trade.

What inspires you to volunteer as a trustee?

I live locally and love the Market, so I wanted to get involved in shaping the long-term strategy, particularly on issues like community benefit, sustainability and food policy.

What’s the most valuable skill for a trustee to have?

Having a wide range of interests – the issues that occur here are really varied and unusual.

What’s the one thing you think everyone should know about Borough Market?

Pretty much anything you could want to cook, you can find here.

What’s your favourite meal to cook at home?

Roasted aubergines are a bit of a go-to for me, frequently topped with yoghurt and honey, goat’s cheese or tahini.

What are your three must-have desert island items?

A book, a radio, sunscreen.