10/04/2026
🍻Behind the Brews🍻
We believe great beer deserves great design – made by people, not AI. Our pump clips are designed by Dan Layton - a person who knows his craft. We caught up with him for a Q & A and chatted all things creativity, beer, and inspiration.
What's your job title?
"Freelance Graphic Designer. I spent around 6–7 years working on and off behind the bar at Kean’s Head. These days I work behind the scenes for Castle Rock, pushing shapes and colours around to design pump clips."
What do you enjoy about your job?
"There’s never a dull moment. I love taking a brief - sometimes just one or two words - and transforming it into something visually engaging and memorable. It’s a great opportunity to flex my creative muscles, often with very few constraints."
Do you have any hobbies?
"I’m a huge fan of music - I collect vinyl and used to play in a band, which is actually what brought me to Nottingham. I still love going to gigs when I can. Aside from that, I enjoy spending time with my wife and daughter."
What’s your favourite drink?
"My favourite Castle Rock beer is Screech Owl. I’m also partial to Noa by Omnipollo - a pecan mud cake Imperial Stout - and Tuaca, a sweet Italian brandy-based liqueur that became a bit of a cult favourite in Brighton during the 90s. I introduced it to Kean’s back in the day, and you’ll still usually find a bottle behind the bar."
Fun fact:
"I once met Joanna Lumley at a party in Warwick - and she really is just as lovely in real life as she is on screen."
Thanks Dan, it was great to get to know more about the man behind our pump clips! We've included three of his favourites here. You can view more of Dan’s design work on his website: www.danlayton.co.uk
