Nin’s Bin

Johnny and his team serve what they catch daily, in one of the most breath taking outdoor settings in the world.

Three family generations since 1977

It was 1977 when Ronald Clark first parked up the caravan on the edge of State Highway 1 and opened the doors to the iconic Nin’s Bin. While “Nin” a local lady/first employee is no longer behind the till, the essence of what she and Ronald started remains the same. The caravan is now in the third generation of the family, and continues to sell fresh, local and sustainably caught crayfish and other fresh seafood. The philosophy they established in 1977 continues to guide the business today – Keep it simple, and don’t mess with it.

The crayfish are cooked with nothing more than some fresh mineral water, a lemon wedge and a dash of garlic butter if you so desire. They also offers mussels, fish and chips and whitebait fritters (if in season). It’s hard to beat parking up on the side of the road, with some freshly cooked seafood, soaking in the beauty of our coastline.

If you’re lucky, you may run into Johnny and his sidekick Manu (the mini Schnauzer) when you call in. He’s the proud third generation of the Clark family, and now runs the caravan, after taking over the helm from his old man Rodney. Getting his skipper’s license aged eighteen, made him one of the youngest qualified in New Zealand at the time. He took over the business during a tough time in 2016, the year of the Kaikoura earthquake. The earthquake caused the seabed to rise a whopping 8 meters in some areas, with the landscape above and below the water changing dramatically.

While the earthquake changed the local landscape, and COVID continues to shift the world on its head – you can trust that Nin’s Bin continues to keep it simple. Johnny and his team serve what they catch daily, and continue in Ronald’s footsteps to serve local fresh seafood in one of the most breath-taking outdoor settings in the world.

So next time you drive through and see the blue and white caravan on the side of the road, call in and see what they’re all about. We promise you will be back for more.

Written by
Johnny Clark