An Italian chef in Australia was fired after refusing to put pineapple on pizza, calling the controversial topping an “insult to his culture,” according to a labor dispute group’s report.
Davide Tamburella was fired from La Costa restaurant in Brisbane in May after management raised several workplace concerns, including his refusal to prepare ham-and-pineapple pizzas for customers, according to a ruling from Australia’s Fair Work Commission.
Tamburella acknowledged it was the third time in four years he had refused a direction to put pineapple on pizza, according to reports.
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The latest dispute reportedly involved a customer who had requested ham-and-pineapple pizzas.
Tamburella, however, stood his ground.
As an Italian, putting pineapple on pizza was an “insult to his culture,” Tamburella told the commission, according to the ruling.
But La Costa owner Elliot Ingram said on social media that there were a “multitude of different factors” that went into the decision to fire Tamburella.
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“There’s more to this story than just pizza toppings,” Ingram told 7 News in Australia.
Ingram said he raised concerns about Tamburella’s foul language, communication style and “escalation of frustration in the workplace.”
“Look, I’m more of a pepperoni guy myself, to be honest,” Ingram said, pointing out that pineapple on pizza is “very common” in Australia.
“At the end of the day, we’re not in Italy. We’re in Australia,” he said.
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The dispute quickly spilled onto social media, where commenters debated whether culinary tradition should trump a customer’s order.
“What a hill to die on,” one person wrote on Reddit.
“Your work serves the item on the menu. You either agree with it and work there or don’t agree and don’t,” another commenter argued.
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Others defended the controversial topping itself.
“Pineapple rules supreme,” one person declared.
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Another commenter compared the situation to a chef refusing to accommodate other diners’ preferences, writing, “But he’s not the one eating it.”
Tamburella challenged his dismissal before the Fair Work Commission, but his application was rejected because it was filed outside the required 21-day period. The commission therefore did not rule on whether the dismissal itself was justified.
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La Costa has since closed after its lease expired, while Tamburella reportedly found work at another Italian restaurant in Brisbane.
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Pineapple, perhaps fittingly, does not appear on its menu.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Fair Work Commission, Tamburella and Ingram for additional comment.
