Italian chef in Australia fired after refusing to put pineapple on pizza, calls it 'insult to culture'

An Italian chef working at a restaurant in Brisbane, Australia, was fired after repeatedly refusing to put pineapple on pizzas, saying the topping was an “insult to his culture”.According to his LinkedIn profile, Tamburella worked at La Costa for over 3 years. (Unsplash/Representational image)According to a report by the BBC, Davide Tamburella was dismissed from the now-closed La Costa restaurant in May, about a fortnight after a meeting with the management over several complaints about his workplace behaviour. Among the concerns was Tamburella’s refusal to prepare ham and pineapple pizzas for guests attending a function. The chef reportedly told management that any direction from them “need not be followed when it is offensive to his culture”.The details emerged after Tamburella approached Australia’s Fair Work Commission, claiming he had been unfairly dismissed. In a ruling released on Tuesday, the commission noted that Tamburella had refused to use pineapple on pizzas because “he considers, as an Italian, that putting pineapple on a pizza is an insult to his culture”.It further observed that this was not the first such instance, noting that the chef had refused to use pineapple on pizzas on 3 occasions over the past 4 years. He had previously asked his employer to “check how important it is for Italians not to put pineapple on a pizza”.Notably, the state of Queensland is regarded as Australia’s pineapple heartland and produces all of the country’s commercially grown pineapples. It is also home to The Big Pineapple, a 16-metre-tall fibreglass landmark on the Sunshine Coast that attracts visitors.(Also Read: IIM Shillong professor calls students for Sunday class, surprises them with Domino's pizzas: ‘Thank you, Sir’)Other concerns raised about the chefHowever, the dispute over the pizza topping was not the only concern raised by the restaurant’s management. The commission’s ruling also detailed complaints about Tamburella’s use of foul language, communication style and “escalation of frustration in the workplace”. An incident in April this year was also mentioned, during which Tamburella fractured bones in his right hand after striking a metal handrail at work.The chef had reportedly hoped that La Costa would sponsor his visa, which would have allowed him to become a permanent resident in Australia. However, following his dismissal, the restaurant discontinued the sponsorship process. Tamburella ultimately lost his unfair dismissal claim, with the commission rejecting his application because it had been filed outside the prescribed time limit.La Costa’s managing director, Elliot Ingram, told the Daily Mail that there was “more to this story than a pizza topping”.According to his LinkedIn profile, Tamburella worked at La Costa for over 3 years. He describes himself as a chef who has focused throughout his career on “delivering exceptional food” and “improving business performance”. 3 months ago, he also shared a post titled “Letter for chefs”, centred on the theme of “respecting the ingredients”.His LinkedIn profile indicates that he is now working at another restaurant in Brisbane.