Crust me, it’s sacrilege! Italian chef fired in Hawaiian pizza showdown

BRISBANE: For most people, pineapple on pizza is just a controversial topping. For Italian chef Davide Tamburella, it was a hill worth dying on – and ultimately, the hill his job went to die on.

Tamburella, former head chef at Brisbane’s La Costa Restaurant and Bar, was fired after flat-out refusing a management request to prepare ham-and-pineapple pizzas for a private event. His defence? In his view, as an Italian, committing such culinary sacrilege was a direct insult to his cultural heritage.

As it turns out, this wasn't his first Hawaiian-themed stand. Management said he had refused to prepare pineapple pizzas on three separate occasions over four years, while also pointing to broader concerns about his workplace conduct and attitude – or, as a chef might call it, passion.

Tamburella tried to fight back by filing an unfair dismissal claim with Australia's Fair Work Commission. But in a final twist of bad timing, he missed the mandatory 21-day deadline. The commission rejected his application, ruling that there were no exceptional circumstances to justify extending the deadline. His unfair dismissal claim therefore did not proceed to a full hearing.

The story does have a happy ending, though. Tamburella has reportedly landed a new head chef gig at Don Gino in Brisbane. The menu feature you won't find there? Pineapple pizza. Whether that is written into his contract or simply a blessed coincidence, the man's principles remain aggressively intact.