An Italian chef who was sacked for refusing to put pineapple on pizza has lost his bid to get his job back. Davide Tamburella was dismissed from La Costa restaurant in Queensland, Australia, after he refused to add the controversial topping, arguing it was "an insult to his culture". This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.

La Costa, located in the urban heart of Brisbane, was billed as an elegant slice of Italy, promising diners they would feel like they had "made it to the Italian Riviera". But for its former head chef, one ingredient — pineapple on pizza — was enough to break the spell and plonk diners back into the nightclub district of Fortitude Valley.

A Fair Work Commission ruling filed on Tuesday heard that Tamburella was sacked on 20 May, a fortnight after he was hauled before his boss, Elliot Ingram, "to address performance concerns". Among those concerns was the Italian chef's refusal to put pineapple on pizza.

In Queensland, the spiky tropical fruit is so revered that a giant monument has been built in its honour. For many, refusing to put it on pizza would be considered sacrilege. But for both Tamburella and Ingram, this refusal proved costly.

The Italian was more than three years into a 186 visa process — an employer-sponsored pathway to permanent residency. Ingram said he waited as long as he legally could to notify authorities that he was no longer hiring Tamburella, hoping the visa application would be approved before he was legally obliged to withdraw sponsorship. It was not, meaning Tamburella would have to start the 186 process again.

For Ingram, there was the cost of doing business. "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,'" Ingram said.

The Fair Work Commission heard that Tamburella acknowledged 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".

Ingram said the divisive tropical pizza was not his own first choice, but 17 years in hospitality and more than a decade of running restaurants had taught him to "pick your battles". "Do I go and buy a ham and pineapple pizza? It's probably not my absolute favourite," he said tactfully. "But I'm not going to turn my nose up at it, that's for sure. And, look, we have had ham and pineapple pizza on the kid's menu previously."

Tamburella alleged he was terminated in contravention of the Fair Work Act, with his dismissal partly motivated by him suffering a workplace injury after he struck a metal handrail, fracturing his right hand in two places. FWC commissioner Jennifer Hunt dismissed Tamburella's general protections application on the grounds that it was filed too late and did not meet the criteria for exceptional circumstances.

La Costa closed in July when its lease expired, with Ingram citing the high cost of doing business in Fortitude Valley. Tamburella was contacted for comment. He is now employed at another Italian restaurant. Pineapple does not appear on its menu.