About us – The Trug Maker

The Trug Maker is a family business. Tony is the woodsman and Trug maker; while Maddy looks after the accounts, marketing and dispatch. Our children (three under four) help with endless distracting fun.

Tony learnt Trug making from lifelong friend, neighbour and mentor Brett Hutchinson. Brett’s long experience, innate common sense and attention to detail have been carefully passed on as we begin our journey as the next generation of trug makers. After twenty years at the end of One Spec Road, Anatoki, the Trug workshop has now crossed the river and moved approximately 800 meters to the east to McCallum Road.

Our small family lives beside the beautiful Anatoki river which flows from deep within Kahurangi National Park in to Golden Bay. We live just across the road from where the famous tame eels have been fed for more than 100 years. Tony is the fifth generation of his family to live in Kotinga, and Maddy has visited the area since childhood. Tony especially holds a great affinity to the land. We all love growing things and do our best to live locally and sustainably. This is why we continue to plant trees, employ coppice methods of harvesting and strive to treat all our customers with an old fashioned respect.

We welcome enquiries about our wider ethos and sustainability.

About the Anatoki Valley

My family have farmed here since the early settler days. The Anatoki river is very special to us as is the wonderful close-knit community we have here. The Anatoki starts its journey away up in the mountains of the Kahurangi National Park. Gold miners came here in the early rushes; most got more sand-fly bites and chilblains than gold but did give us some fantastic names like Saw Tooth Range, Gladiator Peak and Devil’s Dip Saddle.

The Tāngata Whenua carved out sea going waka at certain spots on the river banks, using prized Ponamu toki (greenstone adze’s).

My great aunts, Maggie and Edna McCallum started the now famous tame eels here in 1914 (we actually live in their old house).

Through tramping, hunting and work with the Department of Conservation I have got to know the hills and valleys of the Anatoki well. The land is more like a brother or an ancestor to me than just rock and water. Hence, anything we do here, we try to do it in a way that is respectful to the land around us. Making Trugs seems a natural extension of our care and active involvement in our local rivers, forests and pasture lands.