Italian chef loses claim after refusing to put pineapple on pizza

Summarised from 5 outlets · 6 reports · Updated 5 Nov, 11:29 · Archive

An Italian chef dismissed from a Brisbane restaurant after refusing to put pineapple on pizza has lost his unfair dismissal claim.

Davide Tamburella was dismissed from La Costa Restaurant and Bar in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, on 20 May. A fortnight before his dismissal, he was called to a meeting with his employer, Elliot Ingram, to discuss performance concerns, which included his refusal to put pineapple on pizzas at a function.

Tamburella confirmed he was aware of the direction to use pineapple but refused it, stating that putting pineapple on pizza was an insult to his culture and offensive to him as an Italian. According to the Fair Work Commission ruling, this was the third time in four years he had refused such a direction. He also requested his boss research the cultural importance Italians placed on not putting pineapple on pizza.

Other reasons cited for his dismissal included an incident on 24 April when he fractured fingers on his dominant hand after striking a metal handrail, and concerns about his use of inappropriate language and escalation of situations during service. The BBC reports that management also raised concerns about his communication style and escalation of frustration in the workplace.

Tamburella went to Australia's Fair Work Commission claiming he had been unfairly dismissed. In its ruling released on Tuesday, Commissioner Jennifer Hunt dismissed his claim. The Guardian reports that Tamburella was more than three years into a 186 visa process, an employer-sponsored pathway to permanent residency in Australia, when he was dismissed.

La Costa, which was billed as serving classic Italian dishes in an elegant setting evoking the Italian Riviera, is now closed. Queensland, where the restaurant was located, is Australia's pineapple heartland and produces all the country's commercially-grown pineapples.

How it is being reported

• Italian chef sacked after refusing to put pineapple on pizzaThe Italian chef reportedly refused to put pineapple on pizza on three different occasions over the course of multiple years - his former employers claimed there were additional reasons behind his dismissalThe Mirror · 5 Nov, 15:13
• Italian chef sacked for refusing to put pineapple on pizza won’t get his job backDavide Tamburella said adding the fruit to the Italian dish was ‘an insult to his culture’Independent World · 5 Nov, 11:31
• Was an Italian chef really fired over refusal to put pineapple on pizza?The chef had stated that putting pineapple on pizza was "offensive to his culture".BBC World · 5 Nov, 10:33
• Italian chef fired after refusing to put pineapple on pizzaHe had told his employer, an Australian restaurant, that pineapple on pizza was "offensive" to Italian culture.BBC News · 5 Nov, 07:56
• ‘An insult to his culture’: Italian chef sacked for not putting pineapple on pizza loses bid to get job backAustralia’s Fair Work Commission heard that Davide Tamburella was sacked for refusing to use the controversial topping With its sea foam-green and white decor, exposed brick columns and “classic Italian dishes” served atop European oak tables, La Costa was billed as an elegant slice of Italy in the urban heart of Queensland, Australia’s sunshine state. “We promise, it’ll only take a moment to realize you’re not in Brisbane anymore, you’ve made it to the Italian Riviera,” the now closed restaurant’s website still reads . Continue reading...Guardian World · 5 Nov, 04:53
• Brisbane chef loses workplace bid after refusing to put pineapple on pizza he branded an 'insult to his culture'Chef Davide Tamburella refused said he considered putting pineapple on pizza an insult to his culture and offensive to him as an Italian.Daily Mail · 4 Nov, 23:06

In this story: Davide Tamburella · Elliot Ingram · La Costa Restaurant and Bar · Brisbane · Queensland · Fair Work Commission

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log