Gianfranco Zola Scoops Up Fulham Palace Road Ice Cream Store


Former Chelsea football legend and ice cream entrepreneur Gianfranco Zola has scooped up the former site of Gelato Mio in Fulham Palace Road to open the latest addition to his Unico ice cream parlour business.

Gianfranco Zola outside Unico in Fulham

Apart from the gelato, Unico also specialises in traditional Italian pastries, cakes and Italian coffee, and a series of community events is planned, offering people the chance to go behind the scenes to find out how ice cream is made.

"We want to be an integral part of the community in H&F," says Unico Fulham manager Giorgio Gambelli. "We would like to work with local schools, libraries and clubs in the area and share our knowledge and love of gelato with them."

Meanwhile Gianfranco says it's great to be back in the the borough."I have so many fond memories from my time here. We now want to share our passion for gelato and other Italian delicacies with the local people, bringing the authentic culture of Bolognese cuisine to Fulham."

Zola was voted the greatest Chelsea player ever by Blues fans in 2003 after his instrumental role in the resurgence of the club.

He was bought for £4.5 million in November 1996 from Parma, and went on to help Chelsea win their first trophy (FA Cup) in 26 years in his debut season at Stamford Bridge with some memorable goals, as well as the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award.

The Italian maestro left the club in 2003 for his native Sardinia, despite calls from the then new Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to change his mind.

Unico, on the corner of Fulham and Fulham Palace Road, is the latest ice cream parlour to ope in the borough. The line-up also includes Amorino on Fulham Broadway and Bertotti Pure Italian , run by husband and wife team Diego and Suzana Bertotti with stores in Hammersmith Grove and the other in Goldhawk Road.

For something a little different, Shepherd's Bush residents Phil Harrison and partner Vera Thordardottir serve up traditional Icelandic style ice cream at Bears Ice Cream  in Goldhawk Road.

June 1, 2018