Italian Chef Sacked in Australia After Refusing to Make Pineapple Pizza

An Italian chef working in Australia has lost his job after repeatedly refusing to prepare pizzas topped with pineapple, arguing that the fruit was offensive to his Italian culture.

Davide Tamburella was dismissed in May from La Costa, a now-closed restaurant in Brisbane, following a meeting with management over several complaints about his conduct at work.

One of the disputes centred on his refusal to prepare ham and pineapple pizzas for guests attending an event at the restaurant. Details presented before Australia’s Fair Work Commission showed that Tamburella believed management’s instructions did not have to be followed when they conflicted with his cultural values.

In its ruling, released on Tuesday, the commission noted that the chef refused to use pineapple because “he considers, as an Italian, that putting pineapple on a pizza is an insult to his culture”.

The tribunal also established that it was the third time Tamburella had declined to prepare pineapple pizzas within four years. On an earlier occasion, he reportedly asked his employer to “check how important it is for Italians not to put pineapple on a pizza”.

However, the disagreement was not limited to pizza toppings. Management also raised concerns about his use of foul language, communication style and what it described as an escalation of frustration in the workplace.

The commission’s ruling also detailed an incident in April in which Tamburella fractured bones in his right hand after striking a metal handrail.

The chef had reportedly hoped to secure employer sponsorship for his visa to remain in Australia as a skilled worker. However, the restaurant discontinued the sponsorship process after his dismissal.

Tamburella subsequently filed an unfair dismissal application with the Fair Work Commission but lost the case after the tribunal determined that he had submitted it outside the permitted timeframe. The decision was therefore based on the timing of his application, rather than a determination that every aspect of the dismissal was justified.

La Costa’s managing director, Elliot Ingram, said there was “more to this story than a pizza topping”, suggesting that the dispute involved broader workplace issues.

Tamburella’s LinkedIn profile describes him as a chef focused on delivering quality food and improving business performance. He also shared a post titled “letter for chefs” about respecting ingredients three months ago. His profile indicates that he has since moved to another restaurant in Brisbane, where pineapple is not listed on the menu.

The controversy has attracted attention in Queensland, a state widely regarded as Australia’s pineapple heartland. Queensland produces all of Australia’s commercially grown pineapples and is home to the 16-metre Big Pineapple landmark on the Sunshine Coast.