Chef fired after refusing to add pineapple topping on pizza in an Australian restaurant, says it is an 'insult to culture'

An Italian chef in Brisbane has lost his workplace dismissal challenge after a Fair Work Commission (FWC) application was rejected for missing the statutory filing deadline. The dispute followed his refusal to serve pizzas topped with pineapple, which he considered offensive to his Italian cultural identity, the Daily Mail reported.

Davide Tamburella was dismissed from La Costa Restaurant and Bar in Fortitude Valley on May 20. His refusal to follow an instruction to add pineapple to pizzas for a function was among the issues discussed during a disciplinary meeting with his employer, Elliot Ingram, two weeks before his termination.

At the meeting, Tamburella acknowledged that he knew about the instruction but had declined to carry it out. He also accepted that this was the third time in four years that he had refused a similar direction. He urged his employer to look into the cultural significance attached by some Italians to keeping pineapple off pizza.


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The circumstances of his departure were detailed in a Fair Work Commission ruling published on November 3. Commissioner Jennifer Hunt dismissed Tamburella's general protections dismissal application after declining to extend the deadline for filing it.

Other workplace incidents cited in dismissal

The dispute over the pizza topping was not the only issue raised by the restaurant. Tamburella's employer also cited an incident on April 24, when the chef fractured fingers on his dominant hand after hitting a metal handrail.

The reasons for his dismissal also referred to his use of inappropriate language and the escalation of a situation during restaurant service.

In comments to the Daily Mail, Ingram, managing director of La Costa Restaurant and Bar, said the disagreement over pineapple was only one part of a wider workplace dispute. He said the disciplinary process had addressed several concerns, including the chef's response to management instructions, his conduct during service and his interactions with colleagues.

Ingram also maintained that Tamburella's workplace injury, medical leave and workers' compensation claim had no bearing on the decision to terminate his employment.

He clarified that the commission's ruling was based on the late submission of the application and the refusal to grant an extension. The commission did not make a final determination on Tamburella's allegations about the reasons behind his dismissal.

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Chef takes up new role in Brisbane

Tamburella has since moved on to another restaurant role. His LinkedIn profile lists him as the head chef at Don Gino in West End.