Pineapple is known to divide pizza lovers across the world.
One Italian chef took such a principled stand on this contentious topping that he’s been fired for refusing to put pineapple on pizza.
Davide Tamburella told the now-closed La Costa restaurant in Brisbane that doing this would be an “insult to his culture”.
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Apparently this refusal was among a list of complaints the now-closed La Costa restaurant had against him.
Tamburella has now lost his bid to get his job back, with Australia’s Fair Work Commission ruling against him, reports The Guardian.
“We had a large function come in, and they were spending in excess of $15,000, and the guy paying for the whole thing says: ‘Look, I need to get some ham and pineapple pizza’,’” restaurant boss Elliot Ingram is quoted as saying.
Tamburella is said to have acknowledged that this was the third time he had refused this direction, instead requesting Ingram “check how important it is for Italians not to put pineapple on a pizza”.
Chef Davide Tamburella. Image – Facebook
The chef has been hailed by at least one food editor as a “food hero”.
“All honourable food-loving people everywhere stand shoulder-to-shoulder by your side”, writes Alison Turner for the Melbourne newspaper, Herald Sun.
The value Tamburella places on understanding ingredients is reflected in a Letter to Chefs he posted on his Facebook page.
He is now reportedy employed at an Italian restaurant in Brisbane, which does not offer pizza with pineapple.
Dining and Cooking