Why did the Italian chef sacked for refusing pineapple on pizza lose his case in Australia?

David Tamburella, the head chef at La Costa Pizzeria in Queensland, repeatedly refused to add pineapple to orders, calling it an insult to his culture, and was dismissed. He took an unfair dismissal claim to Australia's Fair Work Commission and lost, the BBC's Stephanie Prentice reported, partly because he did not file in time and because additional misconduct allegations came to light. He has since found work at a pizzeria in Brisbane.

• Queensland is considered Australia's pineapple heartland, yet its premier, David Crisafulli, has said pineapple does not belong on pizza.
• UNESCO gave Italy's cooking tradition special cultural status this year.

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Global News Podcast (2026-11-05). Read the whole episode summary →

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