The Vincent Rooms, the trio of restaurants serving up star talent in hospitality

Capital City College’s Vincent Rooms might seem like the star attraction of our culinary school. But for our students, this Grade II listed building is their classroom. 

Our rich heritage began with a small institute. In the late 1890s, the Westminster Technical Institute was established, and offered courses in engineering, construction, and cabinet making.  

But as top hotels like the Ritz and the Goring became culinary hallmarks for London society, these establishments also had a problem—they needed more skilled chefs and hospitality staff.  

To meet this demand, Baronness Burdett-Coutts, along with hospitality legends Auguste Escoffier, Cesar Ritz, and Isadore Salmon, created a school for professional cookery. In 1910, the Cookery Technical Day School was launched. The goal of the school was to inspire and train students in culinary arts and hospitality, by teaching them first-hand in a restaurant.  

In the 1930s, the school expanded to add new kitchens, cold rooms, and pastry areas. The school’s growing reputation was enhanced by the addition of a two-year course for hotel managers. By the 1950s, the restaurant expanded, and the Escoffier Room opened, named after founding chef Auguste Escoffier.  

Today, this is known as The Vincent Rooms, a trio of restaurants set in the heart of Westminster, where students learn key hospitality skills while serving the public. Comprised of the Escoffier, the Brasserie, and the Café, these are the training restaurants for the college’s school of hospitality and culinary arts, and are staffed by students who prepare and serving meals to the public. 

Our notable alumni include celebrity chefs Jamie Oliver, Ainsley Harriott, Anthony Worrall Thompson, Andy Wong, and Ben Murphy. Many of our students go on to participate and win national culinary competitions like Great British Menu, such as  Mark Froydenlund (2015 and 2016 participant), Selin Kiazim (2017 winner), and MasterChef the Professionals: Alex Webb (2020 winner), Nikita Pathakji (2022 winner) and Tom Hamblet (2023 winner).  

The one thing that hasn’t changed since our creation is our focus on educating the next generation of talent in hospitality. Each time a guest visits The Vincent Rooms, they will be greeted and served meals prepared by our students. We believe that this first-hand training is what makes us special for today’s young people, and the wider community.  

As the biggest further education provider in London, a significant part of our student body are from disadvantaged areas. Our learners come to us for a range of vocational, technical and BTEC courses, and we’re proud to teach them, whether it’s learning railway engineering at Enfield, construction at Tottenham, or hospitality at Westminster.  

This May, we relaunched The Vincent Rooms and welcomed alumni back through our doors, as well as a special guest, Michel Roux Jr. From the moment the first arrival walked in, our students were ready, and our guests loved it, from the ambience in the newly refurbished restaurants, to the friendly faces and delicious canapés made and served by our learners. 

For over a hundred years, we have served the community and trained the next generation of top talent in hospitality. We can’t wait to see what the next century will bring.  

By Angela Joyce, CEO, Capital City College