An Australian court has heard the case of Italian chef Davide Tamburella, who was dismissed from the La Costa restaurant in Brisbane in May. One of the reasons for his termination was his refusal to prepare a ham and pineapple pizza for guests at an event—an act he described as an "insult to Italian culture." According to the commission, this marked the third time in four years that he had refused to put pineapple on a pizza.

In addition, there were complaints regarding the chef’s use of profanity and his communication style. Tamburella appealed to the Fair Work Commission, but his claim for unfair dismissal was rejected because it had been filed too late. He had also been counting on visa sponsorship from his employer, but the restaurant halted this process following his dismissal.

Restaurant manager Elliot Ingram stated that there is “more to this story than just pizza toppings.” The chef now works at another restaurant in Brisbane, where pineapples are not on the menu.