Kitchen Impossible: Mälzer vs. Schmaus vs. Diether

In the "Best Friends Edition" of "Kitchen Impossible", which airs on VOX on 7 June, Tim Mälzer, two-Michelin-starred chef Matthias Diether and Anton Schmaus, chef to the German national football team, go head-to-head in a culinary showdown in Scotland. Amidst Scottish soul food, Highland gourmet cuisine and urban vegan fare, there’s butler training, an off-road quad bike tour and a duel at the Highland Games – verbal jibes and light-hearted banter included! Who will win this battle of friends?

Friendship or not – on "Kitchen Impossible", even the "Best Friends Edition" shows no mercy. In Scotland, Tim Mälzer, Matthias Diether and Anton Schmaus face not only culinary challenges but also verbal jibes from one another. Between butler lessons, the Highland Games and an off-road quad bike tour, a friendly pat on the back quickly turns into a nerve-wracking competition. Who knows the others’ weaknesses best – and exploits them ruthlessly? How resilient is true friendship really under competitive pressure?

Tim Mälzer & Matthias Diether in Edinburgh (Scotland): In this ‘Best Friends Edition’ duel, it’s a two-star chef versus the master of improvisation. Tim Mälzer and Matthias Diether face off once again – this time in Edinburgh. As befits a good friend, the third member of the trio, Anton Schmaus, has come up with a special surprise: No sooner have they arrived than Tim and Matthias are greeted by a genuine butler. He is there to teach the pair table manners. Whether that is still possible – and what other culinary challenges the Scottish capital has in store – remains to be seen. One thing is clear, however: Matthias will need Tim’s friendly support more than ever this time

Tim Mälzer & Anton Schmaus in Kirriemuir (Scotland): In the “Best Friends Edition” of the 11th series of Kitchen Impossible, two-Michelin-starred chef Matthias Diether sends his friends and rivals Tim Mälzer and Anton Schmaus to the rugged Scottish county of Angus – the place where Matthias Diether’s career once began. To kick things off, he has Tim and Anton compete in a legendary Highland Games challenge: a test of strength is on the cards. He then puts them through their paces in the kitchen – with a demanding combination of traditional Scottish home cooking and a sophisticated Japanese-inspired dessert. The cooking takes place in a private country house kitchen. There, however, Schmaus is not only challenged by a special stove, but also pushed to his limits by Mälzer’s relentless verbal harassment tactics.

Anton Schmaus & Matthias Diether in Pitlochry (Scotland): For Anton Schmaus and Matthias Diether, this challenge means taking a breather – without Tim Mälzer breathing down their necks. Their journey takes them to Pitlochry in Scotland, where they can really let their hair down for the first time away from the kitchen. Tim sends them out onto the quad bike track. The real surprise, however, awaits at the finish line, where the black box is waiting. Still splattered with mud and with adrenaline coursing through their veins, the pair must tackle their task right there on the spot. One thing is certain: Anton and Matthias definitely weren’t expecting this challenge. Whether they’ll work well together in this situation or throw little spanner in the works for each other remains to be seen. One thing is already clear, however: the main ingredient carries a high risk of failure for both of them and could prove to be the decisive challenge.