By Angela Green: Borough Market announce new Chair and Vice Chair.
Borough Market earlier today announced executive chairman of Slow Food in the UK, Shane Holland, has been appointed as Chair and CEO of social enterprise the Greenwich Co-operative Development Agency, Claire Pritchard, takes on the Vice Chair role for the charitable trust.
Holland, who previously held the position of Vice Chair, brings a wealth of experience from his career in food operations. In heading up the Slow Food movement in the UK, he is part of the global organisation that campaigns for good food and farming, tackling vital issues such as climate change and its impact on the industry. He is passionate about social justice and food access, as well as what he sees as the important role that Borough Market plays in its local community.
Pritchard steps into the Vice Chair role having been a Borough Market Trustee for eight years. She also holds the prestigious title of advisor to the Mayor of London on food policy, having been on the London Food Board for 15 years. She continues her work with local food businesses on sourcing, sustainability and waste reduction, as well as urban growing, school food projects and community cookery clubs.
Shane Holland said: “It’s my belief that everyone should have access to good food – the kind of food that makes us smile – and Borough Market is such a fantastic place to not only access great produce, but to connect with others and draw on the expertise of our wonderful traders. Borough Market plays such an important and valuable role in the local community and I’m proud to be stepping into this position. I’m looking forward to working with the trustees, traders and team at what we all see at the best market in the world, helping to guide its evolution as we continue to adapt to new challenges and opportunities.”
Claire Pritchard said: “I have always seen food as something that brings joy, and it brings me so much pleasure to be involved with this wonderful organisation that, from an age-old Market location in a corner of Southwark, delivers a really huge, positive impact. As Vice Chair at Borough Market I’ll be helping to increase that impact for the small businesses, staff, neighbours and stakeholders – including of course the millions of people who visit each year.”
Shane Holland replaces Adrian Bunnis who is stepping down after four years in the role. Bunnis has been a Trustee for over 12 years and has experienced many significant changes at the Market including the complex construction of the Network Rail viaduct into London Bridge station, and the devastating London Bridge terror attack in 2017.
His leadership started just weeks before the onset of the first Covid lockdown, making him instrumental in supporting the Market’s traders and ensuring safe access to essential ingredients for the local community during this difficult period. In addition to this, Bunnis has led a fully independent review of the Market’s governance structures, resulting in the development of the Borough Market Food Policy, which sets out clear principles that define the Market’s approach to food, and the recently published 2030 strategy outlining the Market’s ambitions for the remainder of the decade.
Jane Swift, CEO, Borough Market said: “We are thrilled to welcome Shane Holland and Claire Pritchard as Chair and Vice Chair of the charitable trust which oversees Borough Market. As well as the valuable experience that they both individually bring, they’re also a fantastic partnership and a real force to be reckoned with. I’m looking forward to continuing to work closely with them to shape the Market’s future.
“I’d also like to express my gratitude for the impact that Adrian Bunnis has had in his time as Chair. The Food Policy and 2030 strategy that he has helped develop, have left us with a clear roadmap for the future of the Market, with lots to be excited about.”
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