An Italian chef dismissed by a Brisbane restaurant after refusing to use pineapple as a pizza topping has spoken publicly after the dispute attracted international attention.
Davide Tamburella was sacked on May 20 after saying that putting pineapple on pizza was an “insult to his culture”.
He had worked at La Costa Restaurant and Bar in Fortitude Valley for about two weeks when he was called to a meeting over alleged “performance concerns”. Among the issues discussed was his refusal to add the tropical fruit to pizzas being prepared for a function.
Mr Tamburella acknowledged that restaurant owner Elliot Ingram had directed staff to use pineapple, but said he considered the request offensive as an Italian.
Mr Ingram reportedly responded that “we’re not in Italy” and said the disagreement over pineapple was only the latest in a series of workplace incidents.
The dispute reached the Fair Work Commission, which ruled in a decision published on November 3 that Mr Tamburella had missed the deadline to challenge his dismissal. As a result, the commission declined to hear his appeal.
The commission did not determine whether the termination itself was justified.
The case made headlines around the world. Now, Mr Tamburella has offered further insight into the dispute and explained why the issue mattered to him.
Italian chef Davide Tamburella had a workplace claim dismissed after refusing to put pineapple on pizzas, saying it was an “insult to his culture”
The chef said his boss should research the cultural importance some Italians attach to keeping pineapple off pizza
Speaking to The Courier-Mail, the chef said he had no general objection to pineapple and enjoyed eating it on its own or with other foods.
He said he could even accept pineapple on a commercially made pizza base. His objection was being asked to place it on his own dough, prepared using a recipe passed down by his late grandmother.
“I’m nobody to tell you, especially if you’re the owner, not to do it. But not on my dough,” he said.
Mr Tamburella also said people around the world, particularly in Italy, had supported his position.
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“In Italy, I’m definitely a hero … mostly because I stood my ground,” he said.
He insisted his stance was based on more than tradition. In his view, the fruit’s sweetness and acidity would overpower the dough, which was meant to be the centrepiece of the pizza. As head chef, he believed the decision should have been his to make.
Not everyone in Australia agreed. Mr Tamburella said some people had even called for him to be deported.
Pineapple remains a popular pizza topping in Australia and is often regarded as a classic local combination, much like beetroot on burgers, despite the dish being known as Hawaiian pizza when served with ham.
Davide Tamburella was dismissed from La Costa Restaurant and Bar in Fortitude Valley on May 20
Restaurant owner Elliot Ingram, pictured, has defended his decision after the Italian pizza chef refused to put pineapple on pizzas
Despite its Australian associations, Hawaiian pizza was actually created in the 1960s by a Greek chef living in Ontario, Canada.
Mr Ingram, who closed La Costa in June but continues to own other Brisbane restaurants, previously told the Daily Mail that “there’s more to this story than a pizza topping”.
“As recorded in the Fair Work Commission’s published decision, refusing to follow a management direction relating to a customer request was one of several matters raised during the disciplinary process,” he said on Thursday.
“The decision records the concerns we raised about inappropriate language, escalation during service and interactions with staff.
“Our position in the proceedings was that Mr Tamburella’s workplace injury, medical leave and workers’ compensation claim played no part in our decision to end his employment.
“The commission dismissed his general protections dismissal application after refusing an extension to the filing deadline. It did not finally determine his claim about the reasons for his dismissal.”
According to his LinkedIn profile, Mr Tamburella has since taken up a position as head chef at Don Gino in West End.
The Daily Mail has contacted him for comment.