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Summer Jobs: The Crayfish Food Truck Guy
Nins Bin is a family-owned crayfish shop that sells exceptionally fresh and simple food out of a small caravan parked by a coastal road in the South Island.
Johnny Clark, 30, is its third-generation owner. His grandfather opened the business in 1977 in the same roadside location 20 minutes north of Kaikōura.
Tourists, culinary TV show crews and New Zealanders travel near and far to get a freshly cooked crayfish that Clark likely pulled out of the ocean that morning. Crayfish are served with garlic butter and lemon (if they're hot) or just lemon (if you order 'em cold). Locally caught mussels and fish with hot chips are on the menu too.
"There is so much amazing feedback that we get... A lot will say 'This is the best crayfish and fish and chips I've had in my life.'
Nins Bin opens in October and closes in about March each year, depending on when Clark reaches his catch quota of crayfish.
What is a typical day like?
Today started at about 6 am. I fuel up the boat [Blade Runner Catamaran] and take someone with me to check the crayfish traps. We are doing about 50 traps. We check them, bait them up and hope for the best.
We are fishing every day because we are not catching much. We run holding pots at sea. What we don't sell in the shop, we put live at sea into the holding pots.
When you see bad weather coming [which means no fishing], you go out and get your holding pots. To be open, you need to prepare for a lot of things. When you close, it affects the staff and they don't get a wage at the end of the week. And you don't get good publicity if you are closed. People come a long way to see us.
Today, we came back in at 10am. We weigh them, cook them and put them in the chiller. Or they go straight over to the shop still hot. If we sell out, I am not doing my job properly.
I work until about 2pm cooking. I try to stay away from serving customers.
Why do you love the job?
The fishing is amazing when it is beautiful and flat. But it can also be the worst job when it is blowing a wind and you have to go out - why am I doing this? All in all, I really enjoy it.
What is challenging about the job?
Most of the summer, I am working seven days a week. When you can have the afternoon off, it is great. It's annoying in a way, but I still enjoy it. I have never had a summer off in my life except when I'm at school. A summer off would be amazing, but you're not going to make any money.
I used to do all the messaging on Google. I just stay right clear of that. It used to be annoying when people said something bad. They walk in and say "That is expensive". Crayfish is a delicacy and it is an expensive food but we are no dearer than anyone else in Kaikōura.
What do you do in the winter?
Maintenance on the sheds and the boat. [Going overseas for eight weeks] is the plan when I become rich. Money gets a bit tight. I have one child and one in the oven.
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