Hold Fast: a veteran’s story of service, craft, and community

This Anzac Day, we wanted to share the story of one of our stallholders whose journey to the Market ran through two decades of service in the Royal Australian Navy. Gavin, the founder of Hold Fast Distillery in Braidwood, served as a Navigator for 20 years. His time at sea took him around the globe, including piloting through both the Suez and Panama canals. It’s the kind of career that stays with you, and for Gavin, much of what he learned in uniform now shapes the way he runs his distillery and shows up at the Market each Saturday.

What “Hold Fast” means

The name isn’t a flourish. It carries real history.

“Hold Fast is a traditional nautical term, with origins in the Dutch phrase ‘houd vast,’ meaning ‘hold tight,'” Gavin explains. “Originally it referred to gripping ropes and rigging securely at sea. Over time, it’s come to represent something much broader.”
“To hold fast is to bear down and stay the course, to keep going when conditions are against you. It’s about staying strong, doing what is right, and seeing things through.”
Sailors have even tattooed those eight letters across their knuckles as a reminder that no matter the storm, you can get through it if you hold fast.
For Gavin, it wasn’t one single moment in his Navy career that gave the phrase its weight, but a constant thread. Staying steady, backing your team, and pushing through. It’s now the principle at the heart of the distillery.

From the Navy to the still

Distilling wasn’t a post-service reinvention. It was something Gavin began while still serving, a passion that quietly grew into something more serious. Leaving the Navy simply gave him the opportunity to fully commit.

Braidwood was a considered choice. “It’s a historic town with strong character and a genuine sense of community, which aligned perfectly with what we wanted to build.” The discipline of 20 years at sea now underpins the way Hold Fast operates. “The Navy instils discipline, structure, and accountability, but more importantly, it teaches you how to operate under pressure and lead a team. In small business, particularly in hospitality and distilling, that translates directly. Things don’t always go to plan, but you adapt, stay calm, and get the job done properly.”

Service in a different form

The Market is trading as usual on Anzac Day this year, and for Gavin, being behind the Hold Fast stall that morning carries its own kind of meaning.

“Service doesn’t end when you leave the military, it just changes form. Being at the Market on Anzac Day is another way of staying connected to the community and contributing in a positive way. It’s about continuing that sense of service, just in a different capacity.”

He’ll mark the day properly too, attending the dawn service and taking time to reflect. In Braidwood, he says, the community comes together quietly around the day. “People gather, share stories, and acknowledge the day. It’s about connection, not celebration.”

Something special for the weekend

Alongside the core Hold Fast range, Gavin will be bringing something a little special to the Market on Anzac Day weekend: Victory Brandy, matured for seven and a half years and inspired by HMS Victory, Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson’s famous flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Nelson is remembered as one of the most celebrated naval commanders in British history, and HMS Victory remains the world’s oldest commissioned warship still afloat, preserved in Portsmouth to this day.

For a Navy man who spent 20 years at sea, it’s a fitting tribute, and a product that really reflects patience, history, and craftsmanship.

Come and say hello

If you’re at the Market this Saturday, swing past the Hold Fast stall, say hello to Simon, and raise a quiet toast to those who served.

The Capital Region Farmers Market is open this Saturday, 7am to 11.30am, at EPIC.