An Italian chef was fired after refusing to put pineapple on pizza

An Italian chef in Australia lost his unfair dismissal case against his former employer after being fired for repeatedly refusing to prepare pineapple pizza. Davide Tamburella was dismissed in May by the La Costa restaurant in Brisbane, Queensland, following several complaints about his behavior.

The commission dismissed the action in a ruling published on Tuesday, but did not examine the merits of the dispute: the chef’s claim was filed after the statutory deadline had expired. The document states that Tamburella refused three times over the past four years to use pineapple in dishes. In one case, he did not want to prepare ham and pineapple pizza for guests at an event, saying that the instruction constituted an insult to Italian culture.

Restaurant representatives also cited other reasons for the dismissal, including vulgar language, communication style, and the expression of frustration in the workplace. In the past, he had asked his boss to “check how important it is to Italians not to put pineapple on pizza,” according to HotNews.ro.

The restaurant, which has since closed, was due to sponsor him for a permanent residence visa, but the procedures were halted. Tamburella now works at another establishment in Brisbane whose menu does not include pineapple.