opened by owners Keith Perryman and Philip Starling <\/a>in April 2019.<\/p>\nAccording to the restaurant, the threat comes following a letter inviting public comments on a planning application the restaurant has been pursuing since 2021. The handwritten letter, shared on The Watering Can’s Instagram, says: “To Perryman, it takes a s*** like you to be trying to ‘rob’ and I say ‘rob’ a piece of land owned and given to the people of Liverpool to enjoy.<\/p>\n
“But you’re a greedy, selfish c*** who doesn’t care. You may get burnt out. A couple of times will do it, I reckon. C***.”<\/p>\n
The restaurant said the claims detailed in the handwritten note are “unfounded”, calling the letter a “dangerous outcome of unchecked narratives and hostility.”<\/p>\n
The full statement from the Watering Can said: “We\u2019ve been torn about sharing this, but after reflection, we believe it\u2019s important to speak up.<\/p>\n
“Yesterday, our team was shaken by a violent threat to burn down The Watering Can \u2014 not once, but multiple times.<\/p>\n
“This followed a Liverpool City Council communication inviting public comments on a planning application we’ve pursued since 2021. The plan is to extend our existing space on privately leased land \u2014 land that has been part of our lease from day one.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0_Letter-to-Perryman.jpg\")
The handwritten letter threatening to burn down the restaurant (Image: The Watering Can)<\/p>\n
“A small but vocal group has opposed us from the beginning \u2014 challenging everything from our original planning application to our licence and even our building materials.<\/p>\n
“They’ve made damaging, unfounded claims \u2014 including that our presence poses a safeguarding risk \u2014 and have spread misinformation that has led to real harm and now, violent threats.<\/p>\n
“We believe this is the dangerous outcome of unchecked narratives and hostility. To our loyal customers and supporters: We\u2019re still here \u2014 standing for hospitality, community, and respect.<\/p>\n
“We\u2019ve always operated with transparency and care for this setting and our city. Facts, civility, and compassion matter \u2014 now more than ever.<\/p>\n
“We welcome open dialogue, but we will not be silenced or intimidated. Our thanks to Merseyside Police for their swift and supportive response. Thank you to all who stand with us. We\u2019re proud of what we\u2019ve built \u2014 and we know many of you are too.”<\/p>\n
Many have flocked to the comments to express their support for the venue. Leighane Robinson said: “Your restaurant is amazing I go for coffee, breakfast and lunch all the time.<\/p>\n
“Greenbank Park is my local park has been forever. The Watering Can makes visiting it so much more enjoyable. Haters are going to hate but most people will be happy and support you.”<\/p>\n
La Brinnie wrote: “Absolutely abhorrent behaviour! It is one thing to challenge respectfully if this impacts on you. It\u2019s an entirely different scenario trying to use the process to intimidate and make threats! I\u2019m glad the police are supporting you through this. Wishing you continued success.”<\/p>\n
A third added: “This is horrid! We visited in June from Suffolk and what a wonderful place you have, serving delicious food! We wouldn\u2019t have visited the area if we weren\u2019t coming to you and enjoyed the surroundings and the hospitality you offered. Still dreaming of that breakfast! Keep doing what you do and keep strong.”<\/p>\n
In a statement, Keith Perryman, managing director said: “We understand that members of the public may hold differing views on our planning application, and we fully respect the right to raise concerns. But threats, intimidation, and misinformation are unacceptable \u2014 and we will not tolerate this behaviour.<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s not right that our team should feel fearful about coming to work, or anxious about their jobs due to the possibility of closure due to arson.<\/p>\n
“We are a proud part of this community, and we take our role in Greenbank Park seriously.<\/p>\n
“The Watering Can has always operated with care, transparency, and deep respect for its surroundings. We are proud custodians of our corner of the park and remain committed to being a positive asset to the area.<\/p>\n
“We welcome constructive dialogue \u2014 but we stand firmly against fear and division. Lastly, thank you Merseyside Police for the prompt action and support.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The restaurant said the claims detailed in the handwritten note are “unfounded” 19:51, 18 Jul 2025Updated 20:09, 18…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":272888,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8815],"tags":[748,393,4884,378,179,8899,274,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-272887","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-liverpool","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-england","10":"tag-great-britain","11":"tag-in-the-news","12":"tag-liverpool","13":"tag-liverpool-restaurants","14":"tag-merseyside-police","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114876029784820925","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=272887"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272887\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/272888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=272887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=272887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=272887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Interior](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0_LEC_EKIR_250424_WATERINGCN-2.jpg\")
Interior shot of The Watering Can(Image: The Watering Can)<\/p>\n