Billy Stitch Distillery named Business of the Year

Photography by INGOFOTO 

From a backyard still and a big idea, to being named Business of the Year , this was a pretty special moment in the Billy Stitch story.

Billy Stitch Distillery was incredibly proud to take home 2026 Business of the Year at the Rockingham Kwinana Chamber of Commerce Business Awards, as well as being named Hospitality and Tourism Business of the Year.

To add another proud moment to the night, Billy Stitch co-founder Dave was also recognised as a finalist for Business Person of the Year.

Not bad for something that started in the backyard.

A moment to look back

Billy Stitch kicked off in 2023 as a passion project fuelled by curiosity, plenty of experimenting and a desire to create gin that did things a little differently.

Since then, there have been a lot of bottles filled, markets attended, kilometres travelled, stockists visited, lessons learned and probably more than a few moments of wondering what on earth we had gotten ourselves into.

Running a small business has a funny way of keeping you focused on whatever needs doing next. There’s always another order to pack, event to prepare for, retailer to visit or slightly wild idea to bring to life.

The awards night gave us an opportunity to stop for a moment and appreciate just how far Billy Stitch has come.

Being recognised by our local business community made that particularly meaningful.

Celebrating our local business community

Mayor of Kwinana Peter Feasey,Rockingham Kwinana Chamber of Commerce Chief Execustive Officer Sue Hasey, Owner Stephanie Hayes and David Hayes Billy Stitch Distiillery, Mayor of Rockingham Lorna Buchan, Member for Rockingham Magenta Marshall 

The evening brought together businesses and people from across Rockingham and Kwinana, giving us the chance to catch up with familiar faces, meet other local business owners and celebrate what people are building right here in our own backyard.

It was fantastic to have Premier Roger Cook there sharing his support for small business, along with City of Rockingham Mayor Lorna Buchan, City of Kwinana Mayor Peter Feasey and Magenta Marshall MLA, Member for Rockingham.

We also want to give a special mention to the Rockingham Kwinana Chamber of Commerce and the work they do to bring our local business community together.

Running a small business can sometimes feel like you’re figuring things out as you go, so having opportunities to connect, network, share experiences and learn from other business owners is incredibly valuable. The Chamber’s networking opportunities and events help create those connections and give local businesses the chance to support and celebrate one another.

And this particular event gave us a pretty great full-circle moment.

We ran into our local dentist, the team from Rockingham Dental, who were the previous recipients of Business of the Year. It was great to catch up with them and share the evening with another local business that knows exactly what this recognition means.

A special congratulations also goes to the Baldivis Times, who took home the People’s Choice Award. A very well-deserved win and another fantastic local business to celebrate.

The night wasn’t just about awards. It was a chance to catch up with friends, meet other business owners and spend time with people who understand the weird, wonderful and occasionally chaotic world of running a small business.

This award belongs to more than Billy Stitch

While our name might be engraved on the awards, getting Billy Stitch to this point has involved a whole lot more people than Dave and Steph.

Our incredible team has backed this slightly crazy dream and helped us turn it into the business it is today.

Our stockists have taken a chance on an independent Australian distillery and put our bottles on their shelves.

Our suppliers and business partners have helped us grow, solve problems and keep things moving.

And then there are our spirit sippers.

Every bottle you’ve bought, Billy Stitch gin you’ve ordered at a bar, market stall you’ve stopped at, post you’ve shared and friend you’ve told about us has helped build this brand.

We genuinely couldn’t do it without you.

From backyard beginnings to Business of the Year

We went into the awards grateful to have been nominated and certainly didn’t expect the night to unfold the way it did.

Walking away as Hospitality and Tourism Business of the Year and overall Business of the Year, with Dave also recognised as a Business Person of the Year finalist, gave us one of those rare opportunities to stop looking at what comes next and appreciate what has already happened.

Billy Stitch started with a backyard setup and a love of making bloody good gin. It has grown into something much bigger because a whole community of people decided to get behind it.

Our team. Our stockists. Our suppliers. Our fellow small business owners. Our friends and family. And every one of you who has picked up a bottle and given this little Aussie distillery a go.

Business of the Year.

That’s one we’re pretty damn proud to add to the Billy Stitch story.

Thank you for being part of it.

New around here? If our Business of the Year win has you wondering what Billy Stitch is all about, take a wander through our gin collection and meet the bold little bottles that started this whole adventure