After refusing to add pineapple to pizzas, seeing it as a “insult to his culture,” an Italian cook who worked in an Australian restaurant had his workplace claim dismissed.According to media reports, after a meeting with his employer to discuss “performance concerns,” including his refusal to put pineapple on pizza at an event, Davide Tamburella was fired from La Costa Restaurant and Bar in Brisbane in May.Tamburella reportedly admitted at the meeting that the chef had refused to add odd topping three times in the last four years.Tamburella’s bad language, communication style, and “escalation of irritation in the workplace” were other issues brought up by management.In order to better comprehend the problem, he continued the debate by urging his boss to look into the cultural significance that some Italians placed on avoiding pineapple on pizza.
