For Davide Tamburella, the line in culinary matters is pineapple. The Italian head chef refused to prepare a ham and pineapple pizza for a private event at the La Costa restaurant in Brisbane because he believed it was “an insult to his culture.” Two weeks after a meeting with management, he was fired.
The case reached Australia’s Fair Work Commission after Tamburella claimed he had been unfairly dismissed. The ruling states that his refusal was not a one-off. This was the third time in the past four years that the chef had refused to put pineapple on a pizza.
During discussions with his employer, Tamburella said that management’s instructions “did not necessarily have to be followed when they insulted his culture.” He even asked his manager to check how important it was to Italians not to put pineapple on pizza.
The restaurant also pointed to other problems related to his conduct, including the use of offensive language, the way he communicated with colleagues and creating tension at work. Owner Elliott Ingram said that the decision to fire him had resulted from “multiple different factors,” not just the dispute over the pizza.
The dispute arose over an order for a private event. According to evidence presented to the commission, the customer had requested ham and pineapple pizzas. Ingram explained that the restaurant was located in Australia, where the combination is widely popular, and that the order was reasonable from the customer’s perspective.
Tamburella also claimed that a workplace accident may have influenced the decision to terminate his employment. In April, he broke two bones in his right hand after striking a metal railing at work. The employer denied that the incident, his medical leave or his claim for compensation had been the reason for his dismissal.
Commissioner Jennifer Hunt did not consider the merits of whether the dismissal was lawful. The complaint had been filed after the mandatory 21-day deadline, and the commission found no exceptional circumstances that would justify extending it. As a result, it was not decided whether refusing to prepare a pineapple pizza could, in itself, have led to dismissal, or whether the workplace accident had played a role.
For Tamburella, the consequences extended beyond the kitchen. He had expected the restaurant to sponsor him for a work visa that would help him obtain permanent residency in Australia. After his dismissal, the process was terminated and he had to start over.
La Costa has since closed after its lease expired. Tamburella found work at another Italian restaurant in Brisbane. Its menu, however, does not include pineapple pizza—at least for now.