Brisbane Chef Dismissed After Refusing to Top Pizza With Pineapple

An Italian chef working at a Brisbane restaurant was dismissed from his position after refusing to prepare a ham and pineapple pizza for a function, arguing that the combination was an insult to his heritage. Davide Tamburella was fired from the now-closed La Costa restaurant on May 20, following a meeting with management regarding performance concerns. Details of the dismissal emerged after Tamburella filed a claim of unfair dismissal with Australia's Fair Work Commission.

According to the tribunal ruling released on Tuesday, management raised several complaints regarding Tamburella's workplace conduct, communication style, and use of foul language. Among the primary issues was his refusal to provide the requested topping for a large function spending in excess of $15,000. Restaurant owner Elliot Ingram stated that it was the third time Tamburella had refused to use the fruit on pizzas over a four-year period. At the time of the dispute, Tamburella maintained that directions from management need not be followed if they are offensive to his culture, and previously asked his employer to check how important the rule is for Italians.

Ingram noted that while pineapple on pizza was not his personal preference, his years in the hospitality industry had taught him to accommodate customer requests, pointing out that the item had previously appeared on the children's menu. Queensland, where the restaurant was located, is a major producer of the fruit and features the heritage-listed Big Pineapple landmark on the Sunshine Coast.

The termination also impacted Tamburella's residency plans. The chef had been more than three years into an employer-sponsored visa process designed to grant permanent residency. Ingram stated that he waited as long as legally permitted before notifying authorities that Tamburella was no longer employed, hoping the residency application would clear beforehand. Because it did not, the sponsorship was withdrawn, requiring the chef to restart the application process.

The Fair Work Commission document also detailed a separate workplace incident in April, during which Tamburella sustained a fracture in his right hand after striking a metal handrail. The tribunal proceedings brought the culinary dispute and its professional consequences into public view.