Brisbane chef loses workplace bid after refusing to put pineapple on pizza he branded an 'insult to his culture'

Davide Tamburella, an Italian chef at La Costa Restaurant and Bar in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, was dismissed from his job on May 20 after refusing to put pineapple on pizza for a function. The refusal stemmed from Tamburella’s belief that adding pineapple to pizzas is "an insult to his culture." Two weeks prior, Tamburella had a meeting with his employer, Elliot Ingram, where he acknowledged the previous direction to include pineapple but maintained his stance against it. He also cited the cultural importance Italians place on not putting pineapple on pizza and noted this was the third time in four years he had refused such a request. Additionally, Tamburella’s dismissal followed another incident involving an injury when he fractured fingers after striking a metal handrail on April 24. A Fair Work Commission ruling dismissed his claim to have his job reinstated due to these ongoing performance issues.