About Us

little hands honey

Our Story

Little Hands Honey is a family apiary business based in Papamoa in the Bay of Plenty. The business is built on a desire to provide Kiwis with pure yet affordable honey straight from the beehive. And the beehives do more for their community than deliver this special superfood; they help to pollinate local green and gold kiwifruit.

It all started in 2020 when Virgil decided to use his extensive beekeeping experience to care for his own beehives. Wife Carmen was by his side finding sustainable ways to bring the superfood to people’s tables. The pair took their range of honey to local markets, including Papamoa Farmers’ Market, where it proved popular. This is when Little Hands Honey began to take flight.

The pair’s children quickly caught the bug and shared their father’s lifelong passion for beekeeping. Three-year-old Victoria and two-year-old Stephan love to watch the bees and give their dad a helping hand when they can.

Virgil and Carmen want to inspire the next generation of apiarists and teach their children to go back to basics and appreciate what nature has to offer.

Photo of Virgil

Virgil Parlea

Little Hands Honey founder Virgil has more than 28 years of experience in beekeeping. At just 14 years old, while living in Romania, he built and maintained his first beehive. Virgil’s passion for apiculture blossomed thanks to his beekeeper grandfather.

Photo of Carmen

Carmen Cristescu

Carmen joined her husband Virgil when he moved to New Zealand for a beekeeping job at a reputable beekeeping company. When the pair started their own honey business, Carmen brought her creativity with infused honey creations.

customer testimonials

Hear What Others Say