An Italian chef was fired from a well-known Australian restaurant after refusing to add a specific ingredient to his pizzas. The specialist himself, Davide Tamburella, claimed that using this fruit was an insult to his culture.
The decision was made by the Fair Work Commission on Tuesday and reported by the Guardian newspaper. It was established that Davide Tamburella was dismissed from the restaurant 'La Costa' in Queensland on May 20, two weeks after his boss, Elliot Ingram, called him in to discuss work-related issues.
Among these issues was the Italian chef's refusal to put pineapple on pizzas, as he considered it an 'insult to his culture,' according to The Guardian. It turned out that the restaurant was hired by an entrepreneur who wanted to hold an event and insisted on serving pizza with ham and pineapple. It is worth noting that this fruit is very popular in the region.
This was the third attempt by the chef to reject the request, demanding that his employer understand that for Italians, this was a matter of 'extreme importance.' In response, the restaurant owner stated that after 17 years in the hospitality business, he had learned that sometimes one has to make decisions contrary to personal preferences. He admitted: 'Can I order a pizza with ham and pineapple? Probably not my favorite,' but stressed that he could not ignore the customer's request.
For the chef, this decision had even more serious consequences, as he was planning to obtain a permanent residency visa in the country after three decades living in Australia. Without a job, this application would have to be returned to the initial stage. The British newspaper notes that meanwhile, the restaurant has closed, and its owner attributed this to high rent.
Nevertheless, the chef found a job at another restaurant.
