Italian chef fired after refusing to put pineapple on pizza

What the report says

An Italian chef in Brisbane, Davide Tamburella, was dismissed from the now-closed La Costa restaurant after refusing to prepare ham-and-pineapple pizzas for a function. According to the BBC’s report from Queensland, Tamburella told management that pineapple on pizza was offensive to Italian culture and should not be required when it conflicted with his beliefs.

The dispute later became part of an unfair dismissal case at Australia’s Fair Work Commission. In its ruling, released on Tuesday, the tribunal said Tamburella had repeatedly objected to using pineapple on pizza over several years. It also noted broader workplace concerns raised by the employer, including communication issues and inappropriate language.

The commission ultimately rejected his unfair dismissal claim, but not on the merits of the dispute alone: it found the application had been lodged too late. BBC reporting also says Tamburella had been hoping the restaurant would sponsor a visa linked to permanent residency, and that process ended after his sacking.

The case has attracted attention because it combines a long-running cultural food debate with an employment dispute in Queensland, a major pineapple-growing region in Australia. The BBC noted that the restaurant’s managing director said there was more to the situation than a single pizza topping.