'INSULT TO MY CULTURE': Italian chef refuses to put pineapple on pizza

CALGARY — An Italian chef was fired from an Australian restaurant after he refused to put pineapple on pizza, calling it an “insult to his culture.”Davide Tamburella was sacked from the Brisbane-based La Costa restaurant — now closed — in May, after a meeting with management over a string of complaints related to Tamburella’s behaviour.According to the BBC, one of the complaints was Tamburella’s refusal to serve guests ham and pineapple pizza at an event.Tamburella stated at the time that any orders from management staff “need not be followed when it is offensive to his culture.”On his LinkedIn profile, he describes himself as someone who is “focused not only on delivering exceptional food, but on improving business performance through operational excellence, leadership and innovation.”.In a post from three months ago discussing pizza, Tamburella stated, “For me, pizza is more than food — it's a craft built on precision, patience, and respect for tradition, while always embracing innovation and continuous improvement.”After his termination, Tamburella went to Australia’s Fair Work Commission claiming he had been unfairly dismissed.On Tuesday, the commission said in its ruling that Tamburella’s refusal to use pineapple on pizzas was because “he considers, as an Italian, that putting pineapple on pizza is an insult to his culture.”The ruling also stated Tamburella had refused to use fruit on pizzas three times in the past four years.Concerns were also raised about Tamburella having used foul language, as well as an “escalation of frustration in the workplace.”.Calgary restaurant is Canada’s sole entry on world’s top pizzeria list.An April incident at La Costa earlier this year, where Tamburella fractured several bones in his right hand when he struck a metal handrail, was also detailed in the ruling.The chef had been hoping La Costa would sponsor his visa that allowed skilled workers to become permanent residents, but after his sacking, the establishment ended the process.According to the ruling, Tamburella then lost his unfair dismissal claim on the grounds that the application had been filed too late.Elliot Ingram, the restaurant’s managing director, told the Daily Mail there was “more to this story than a pizza topping.”Tamburella’s LinkedIn profile now states he works at Don Gino — another Brisbane restaurant — which serves food showcasing “the rich flavours and traditions of southern Italy.”A Western Standard check found that pineapple does not appear on any of the establishment’s pizza menu items.

'INSULT TO MY CULTURE': Italian chef refuses to put pineapple on pizza

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