Italian chef in Brisbane fired after refusing to put pineapple on pizza
The Fair Work Commission ruled against chef Davide Tamburella after he declined multiple times to prepare a pizza with pineapple.
An Italian chef working in Brisbane, Australia, lost his job after refusing to add pineapple to a customer's pizza — and subsequently lost his legal challenge against the restaurant, the Fair Work Commission's decision says.
Chef refused repeatedly
The decision records that chef Davide Tamburella described the request to put pineapple on ham as "an insult to his culture." It notes this was the third time in four years he had declined to prepare a Hawaiian-style pizza, and that he earlier asked his manager to check "how important it is to Italians not to put pineapple on pizza."
The case ended with the Fair Work Commission ruling in favour of the employer and upholding the dismissal, according to the published finding.
The story also recalled the origin of the so-called Hawaiian pizza: in 1962 the Greek restaurateur Sam Panopoulos, together with his brothers in Canada, experimented by putting canned pineapple on a pizza. The name "Hawaiian" comes from the canned fruit brand Hawaiian Pineapple Company rather than the U.S. state.
The dispute highlights the long-running cultural debate over pineapple as a pizza topping — a matter that has repeatedly provoked strong opinions among cooks and customers alike.
Tamburella's loss before the Fair Work Commission closes the legal avenue in this instance, leaving the restaurant's decision to dismiss him intact.
Photo: Kanva)
