Gelato Trike Man Faces Renewed Licence Challenge

Strand on the Green Schools want his pitch to be relocated

Tricycle-based gelato salesman Michele Detomaso

June 7, 2025

A man who has been selling gelato from a tricycle in the Strand on the Green Area for over a decade is facing a renewed challenge to his temporary street trading licence.

Michele Detomaso operates under the name of Non Solo Gelato and is seeking permission to continue to operate from the pavement at the Thames Road and Brooks Lane outside the Strand on the Green Infant and Junior Schools.

The application is due to be considered by the borough’s Licensing Panel on Wednesday 25 June and, if granted, would allow sales from 3pm to 5pm Monday to Friday. This allows Mr Detomaso to cycle past the schools on sunny days between late March and late September to pause outside for around fifteen minutes before moving on.

Mr Detomaso’s application has met with opposition in previous years andthere have been 20 separate objections regarding his pitch’s location. These objections come from parents, local residents, school leadership, and a councillor.

It is claimed that when the cart is parked near the school entrances, this makes it difficult to avoid for the 500 children and families who pass by on a daily basis. It is contended that this undermines the schools’ attempts to promote healthy eating initiatives and wider council strategies on childhood obesity and healthy lifestyles.

Safety concerns are also raised with reports of congestion and “near misses” with children running into the road due to crowds around the cart. Queues of up to 20 people have been observed.

It is alleged that daily exposure to the stall puts financial and emotional strain on parents, especially those on low incomes or with multiple children and that children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) are particularly affected, leading to meltdowns and distress.

Many of the objectors suggest moving Non Solo Gelato’s pitch to nearby sites such as the Thames Tow Path or outside the Strand on the Green Recreation Ground.

The objectors were supported by Cllr Amy Croft who also lodged a representation against the location, citing health concerns and the impact on neurodiverse children.

Mr Detomaso expressed disappointment that the leadership of both the infants’ and junior school had expressed objections as they had done for previous applications. He said, “At the time it was a great surprise for the locals that an institution like a school would exercise their authority outside their premises against a hard-working self-employed person, providing a glamorous gelato for the joy of not just the children of their school but also to the local community and other schools in the area. “

He argues that the product he sells is not unhealthy and is authentic organic artisanal gelato organic with no preservatives, no colourants, no animal gelatine.