Brisbane pizza shop owner says pineapple was not only reason chef was sacked

The owner of a Brisbane pizza restaurant says a chef was not sacked simply for refusing to put pineapple on a pizza, after the dispute drew attention around the world.

Elliot Ingram spoke to the Today Show from Brisbane. He said he never expected the story to grow so large, and he was surprised that a pizza topping could cause such a stir in Australia and overseas.

The chef has said that putting pineapple on a pizza is an insult to his culture. He took the matter to the Fair Work Commission, alleging his cultural rights had been impinged.

Mr Ingram said his own view has not changed. He argued that cuisines adapt to what customers want, and that in Queensland, which he described as the pineapple capital of Australia, a tropical fruit is a natural fit for a pizza menu.

He rejected the idea that the dismissal came down to the topping alone. Pointing to the Fair Work material, he said several factors fed into the decision and that it followed a reasonable process. Asked what they were, he listed inappropriate language, other customer requests that were not fulfilled, and leadership within the kitchen. These are the owner's account of events, and the source does not include a response from the chef.

Asked about the rest of his team, Mr Ingram said he had a responsibility to protect his other staff members. He said he has worked in the industry for more than a decade and that pineapple on pizza had never been an issue at other restaurants where he has worked.

He also announced a light-hearted response to the attention. A Queensland Pineapple Day will be held at Sunny's Margate Beach on Sunday from noon. The menu will include a ham and pineapple pizza called "Nonna's night off", along with a pineapple-inspired mocktail named "the final straw".

Mr Ingram said reaction to the dispute has been largely supportive. He said pineapple farmers had thanked him for drawing attention to the fruit, and that customers from many places had been in touch. Some people had said they dislike pineapple on pizza, he said, but he believed people's opinions and choices about their own toppings should be respected. He acknowledged some negative feedback but said he was happy with the response overall.

Addressing viewers in Italy who consider pineapple on pizza a disgrace, he said he could sympathise but that each country puts its own spin on dishes. He noted that Italians put figs and other toppings on pizza, and said that if people enjoy a topping such as pineapple or chicken, they should go for it.