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Take a walk down Elizabeth Street, at the northern entrance to Warkworth, and you might be surprised by some of the changes. Several new businesses have opened, joining long-standing tenants such as Warkworth Curtain & Blind and Ashby Consulting. The shops and offices have an enviable backyard – native bush and a flowing stream that empties into the nearby Mahurangi River. One of the larger new businesses is building company Jennian Homes, just along from Shadze of Lace and the new clothing and homewares store, Eko. Mahurangi Matters stopped in at one of the oldest stores on the block, Bin Inn, to ask new owners, Matt Adams and Jo Blincow, what attracted them to this end of town.
“Where do I start?” Matt says. “The light, the sound of the river behind the shop, the great vibe and, very importantly, there is always plenty of parking.”
Bin Inn is a wholefoods and speciality chain, which setup just over 30 years ago. There are now 39 shops around NZ, but Warkworth was one of the first.
“When head office learned that the store was possibly going to close, they got in touch with us. We’d joined the Bin Inn family just six months earlier, after purchasing the Papamoa store. Previous to that, we’d lived in Mangawhai, where we’d run a video store and the holiday accommodation business, Bach Stay. Plus, Jo grew up in Snells Beach, so we were very familiar with the area.”
The store in Papamoa was doing well and the couple felt that in many respects, Papamoa and Warkworth had a lot in common.
“They are both small towns with people who care about what they eat, as well as the health and wellbeing of the planet.”
After only a week, their instincts proved to be correct.
“We have been made to feel very welcome and customers seem to really appreciate the effort we’ve made to clean and redecorate, and source products that you won’t find anywhere else in the area.”
The large range of bulk goods includes seeds, nuts, grains, baking goods, snacks and confectionery.
“We even have the very nutritious hemp hearts that were illegal until six weeks ago, and black sesame seeds.”
The range of speciality items includes international foods from places such as Asia, Mexico and the Netherlands.
Matt says customers are encouraged to buy small quantities, so that their food and spices are always fresh. And there are incentives for people who bring their own containers.
Customers can make their own peanut butter in the store or browse a range of distilling and brewing equipment.
“The real message is ‘come in and have a look around’. If we haven’t got what you want, tell us. This is Warkworth’s store and we want it to be a fun place to shop, as well as the best place in town to re-stock your cupboards.”
