Italian chef fired in Australia for refusing to put pineapple on pizza

Hawaiian pizza has plenty of fans. It also has plenty of haters, and one of them has just lost his job over it.

Davide Tamburella, an Italian head chef in Australia, refused to put pineapple on pizzas. His employer let him go.

What happened? 🍍

Tamburella worked as head chef at the restaurant La Costa in Brisbane. The place presented itself online as an elegant slice of Italy in Australia, and its menu centred on classic Italian dishes. Pineapple was the exception.

According to a published decision by the Fair Work Commission (Australia's workplace tribunal), he was dismissed in May. Two weeks earlier, his boss, Elliot Ingram, had called him in for a talk. One of the sticking points was his repeated refusal to make pizza with pineapple.

Why did it go that far?

The restaurant owner saw the refusal as a business risk. He said the restaurant lost money at an event because the client had specifically ordered Hawaiian pizza and didn't get it.

Tamburella admitted that he had refused the instruction for the third time. He called pineapple on pizza an insult to his culture. Instead, he suggested the customer should find out how important it is to Italians not to put pineapple on pizza.

That was the end of his job. He challenged the dismissal, but the tribunal rejected his claim.

And what happened afterwards?

La Costa itself no longer exists. It closed in July when its lease ran out.

Tamburella reportedly works at another Italian restaurant now. One ingredient is said to be missing from the menu there too: pineapple.