Metal food or beverage containers are coated with a polyether polymer containing at least two ether linkages in the polymer backbone. The polymer is substantially free of segments derived from bisphenol A and epoxides thereof, and is a reaction product of, or can be derived from, (i) an aryl- or heteroaryl-group-containing diepoxide that is not derived from a polyhydric phenol or a glycidyl ester and (ii) a polymer backbone extender that has two functional groups reactive with an epoxy group and which following reaction with the diepoxide provides at least one pendant aryl or heteroaryl group on the polymer backbone, or provides at least one divalent aryl or heteroaryl group in the polymer backbone and linked to the backbone via ether linkages.