How it began
Little Honey began more than 30 years ago in the Southern Rangitikei, when my father, Melly, set out to solve a problem. On a bitterly cold trip down the South Island in our housetruck, he realized that traveller’s needed a wood burner designed specifically for life on the move. Something compact, safe, efficient and versatile – a stove you could cook on, see the fire burning, shut down quickly when on the move, and rely on to keep burning overnight.
From those beginnings, the Little Honey woodburner was born. For many years Melly hand-built each one himself, crafting stoves that earned a reputation for reliability, safety and charm.
Carrying the Legacy Forward
Today, I’m proud to continue the Little Honey story. My name is David, Melly’s son. For 19 years I’ve worked as a Piano Tuner/Technician – restoring instruments where every detail matters. That background has shaped the way I approach wood burner manufacturing – with precision, care and a perfectionists eye.
Piano restoration and stove making may sound like very different trades, but they share a common thread – craftsmanship. Both demand an uncompromising attention to detail, balancing function with beauty, and creating something that will last for years to come. I also bring with me a life-long interest in metal fabrication and design, which made it a natural step to carry on the family business.
Wherever there’s a need for safe, efficient heat in a compact home, our Little Honey Woodburners fit right in.
Remaining true to Dad’s original vision, our stoves are strong, dependable and made to keep you warm through the long winter nights.
Our philosophy is to keep adapting our woodburners to meet the needs of the growing New Zealand community of alternative living.
Expanding for Modern Living
While Melly began with housetrucks, Little Honey has grown with the times.
Today, we build woodburners not just for housetrucks and house buses. Our woodburners have also been installed in spaces such as:
- Tiny Homes
- Boats
- Yurts
- Bush Huts
- She Sheds
- Man Caves
They are designed with small spaces in mind so they will fit almost anywhere.
Want to find out more?
There are three models in our range of woodburners . Each can be adapted to your requirements with optional upgrades and add-ons, such as marine rails and long legs.
Why not check out our innovative modular products to add to your woodburner.
Our Little Honey Oven and our Little Honey Wetback are designed to make the most out of your woodburner.
Contact us to have your Little Honey Woodburner made to order.