Italian chef loses employment dispute after refusing to put pineapple on pizza

Italian chef’s pizza principles prove too costly to digest

David Tamburella's objection had become a recurring source of tension at work. 

Australia's Fair Work Commission noted that he had refused to prepare pizzas containing pineapple on three occasions over the past four years, and had even asked his boss to "check how important it is for Italians not to put pineapple on a pizza".

The disagreement escalated at the now-closed La Costa restaurant when customers ordered ham and pineapple pizzas. 

Tamburella refused to fulfil the requests, maintaining that instructions from management "need not be followed when it is offensive to his culture".

In its ruling, the commission summarised the chef's reasoning, stating that "he considers, as an Italian, that putting pineapple on a pizza is an insult to his culture".

Pizza dispute gets complicated

However, the dispute over pizza toppings was not the only concern raised by the restaurant's management, which had submitted a series of complaints about Tamburella's conduct in May.

These included his use of foul language, communication style and what was described as an "escalation of frustration in the workplace".

Following his dismissal, Tamburella took his case to Australia's Fair Work Commission, seeking to have the decision recognised as unfair. 

His application was rejected in a ruling released on Tuesday, but it had been filed after the deadline.

The chef had also been hoping La Costa would sponsor him for a skilled-worker visa, which could eventually have allowed him to become a permanent resident of Australia. 

However, the restaurant abandoned the process after his employment ended.

La Costa's managing director, Elliot Ingram, told the Daily Mail there was "more to this story than a pizza topping".