The British are coming. In a somewhat surprising move, The Urban Kitchen on Worcester’s Shrewsbury Street closed its doors in August after 8 months in business. The opening night party was cancelled because of a blizzard, so, in a classy move, the owners had a closing party. The Voyiatzis family has leased the space, which was once home to Coral Seafood, to British Beer Company, a full-service brew pub. British Beer Company is a small chain and has restaurants in Framingham, on the Cape and in New Hampshire. Work has already begun on the conversion. Watch for an end-of-year opening.

The Fix is in. In other Shrewsbury Street news, the Fix Burger Bar, a Niche Hospitality restaurant, has expanded its menu for by adding a half dozen house-made hot dogs. The dogs weigh in at a half-pound each – the weight of a wiener dog.

Even more Shrewsbury Street news. When Coral Seafood became The Urban, we lost a very good seafood restaurant. Now, Shrewsbury Street will have a seafood restaurant once again. Somethin’ Catchy Seafood Shanty will open at the site of the former Eastern Border at 360 Shrewsbury St. The restaurant will feature fresh seafood, homemade french fries and onion rings and milkshakes. There will also be items for non-seafood eaters. The restaurant will be owned by Rose Ellen and Angela Padavano, owners of Rosalina’s Kitchen and Padavano’s, which is right next door to the Seafood Shanty. They are hoping to open in October.

Happy anniversary. Peppercorns on Park Avenue in Worcester will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year. The restaurant, now run by Tom Oliveri, Jr., the founder of Wormtown Brewery, was started by his dad Tom, who also owned Elsa’s Bushel ’n Peck, Oli’s in West Boylston and Prezzo in Milford. We hear that Peppercorns will offer some specials to celebrate the milestone.

Further afield. The 11th annual Venture Wine, Beer & Food Festival will be held Sept. 17 at the Oliver Wright Tavern in Old Sturbridge Village. The cost is $45 per person, and you can call the Village to buy tickets.

Abundant Harvest. The Harvest Grille recently opened in the Jefferson section of Holden. This spot has been home to a number of restaurants in the past 10 years. The Harvest Grille moved from Sterling last month and is owned by Susan Harrigan and Tim Shaw. It was formerly Ethan’s, and before that, it was La Bussola. The restaurant offers a very eclectic menu, featuring steaks, seafood and even a vegetarian risotto.

What’s in the works at Northworks. The old Northworks Restaurant on Grove Street has been completely gutted, and it is awaiting a new owner. We hear that a few local restaurant owners have expressed an interest in the space, which is about 6,000 square feet. It is a great location, close to WPI and the Greendale section of Worcester. We will keep you informed.

By Paul Giorgio