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An Italian chef has been fired from a restaurant in Brisbane, Australia, after refusing to put pineapple on his pizza. Details emerged after the chef filed a complaint with the Australian Fair Work Commission alleging unfair dismissal.
According to the committee's documents, Italian Davide Tambrella was fired in May after he refused to put pineapple on his pizza, calling it an "insult to Italian culture."
At the time, Tambrella, who worked at the La Costa restaurant, received multiple complaints about his work behavior and was interviewed by management. Two weeks later, Tambrella was fired. This restaurant is currently closed.
The complaints included refusing to serve ham and pineapple pizza to attendees of an event held at the store. Tambrella argued at the time that he did not have to follow instructions from management if they were contrary to his culture.
On the 3rd of this month, the Fair Labor Commission rejected Tambrella's claim of unfair dismissal. This is because the complaint was filed after the deadline.
The commission ruled that he refused to use pineapple on his pizza because "as an Italian, he considers it an insult to his culture to put pineapple on pizza."
Tambrella also refused to use pineapple on his pizza three times in the past four years.
He previously asked his boss to "find out how important it is for Italians not to put pineapple on pizza," he said.
Queensland, where the restaurant was located, is Australia's main pineapple producing region. All domestic commercial cultivation occurs in the state.
On the state's Sunshine Coast, the Big Pineapple, a 16-metre-tall fiberglass model of a pineapple, has become a local landmark. It has been registered as a state heritage site, and tourists can often be seen stopping by to take commemorative photos.
Concerns about behavior at work
There were concerns raised about Tambrella's use of foul language, poor communication skills and the way he seemed to be "creating dissatisfaction in the workplace".
The Fair Work Commission's ruling also detailed that Tambrella broke his right hand when he hit a metal railing at work in April this year.
Mr Tambrella is said to have hoped the restaurant would sponsor him in order to obtain a visa that would allow him to permanently reside in Australia as a skilled worker.
But after firing him, the restaurant ended the visa process, according to the ruling.
Elliott Ingram, the restaurant's managing director, told the Daily Mail: "There's more to this than just the toppings on the pizza."
The BBC has contacted Mr Tanumbrella for comment.
Tambrella's profile on the business networking site LinkedIn says that throughout his career he has focused on "providing outstanding cuisine" and "improving business results."
Three months ago, he posted a ``Letter to Chefs'' on the theme of ``respecting ingredients.''
Mr Tambrella is currently working at another restaurant in Brisbane, according to his LinkedIn profile. When the BBC checked the restaurant's menu, there were no dishes featuring pineapple.
(English article Italian chef fired after refusing to put pineapple on pizza)
