Daniel Wolfram
Choosing Queensland of all places to wage war on pineapples turned out to be a career-ending move for this Brisbane chef.
The age-old debate about toppings on pizza has always revolved around pineapple and whether it belongs on a pizza.
The fruit has been fuel for many heated arguments as purists and regular pizza lovers clash over this issue.
But in Queensland, Australia, the topic got so intense and contentious that a man got fired over it.
An insult to the man’s culture
For Italian chef Davide Tamburella, putting pineapple on pizza was never just a matter of culinary taste. No, it was war. Management at Brisbane’s now-closed La Costa fired him in May following weeks of tension, culminating in his refusal to serve ham and pineapple slices on pizzas at a private function.
Tamburella insisted he was defending his heritage and culture. He told management that workplace orders “need not be followed when it is offensive to his culture”, according to Australia’s Fair Work Commission, cited by the BBC.
In its formal ruling, the tribunal noted that the chef refused because “he considers, as an Italian, that putting pineapple on a pizza is an insult to his culture”. This was the third time in four years this topic had been an issue between Tamburella and the restaurant.
He even urged his manager to “check how important it is for Italians not to put pineapple on a pizza”. Taking that stand in Queensland was a risky bet. The state produces all of Australia’s commercial pineapples and proudly houses The Big Pineapple, a 16-metre fibreglass landmark.
Trouble in paradise
Management, however, painted a very different picture. Behind the scenes, leaders cited foul language, communication breakdowns, and an “escalation of frustration in the workplace”, according to tribunal documents.
The ruling also detailed an April incident where Tamburella struck a metal handrail, breaking bones in his right hand.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, restaurant managing director Elliot Ingram insisted there was “more to this story than a pizza topping”.
However, the chef has found work at another Brisbane restaurant kitchen, where a Google search by Dagens.com confirmed pineapple is nowhere to be found on the menu.
