Mitchells & Butlers has been fined £13,000 after one of its pubs in Formby breached food hygiene regulations.
Food safety officers visited the company's Bay Horse pub on Church Road in August last year they were met with the stench of rotten food, dirty floors, a lack of hand soap and cooking equipment that was caked in grease and dirt.
The company was fined £3,500 for each of three offences, including failing to ensure food was protected from contamination, failing to ensure the premises were maintained in a clean condition, and failing to ensure equipment was effectively cleaned.
It was also ordered to pay £2,794 court costs and a £50 victim surcharge. A spokesman for the company said: "Food safety is our top priority and responsibility. We expect all of our employees to adhere to our rigorous documented food safety processes and any breaches are taken very seriously.
"We undertook a comprehensive review of all food hygiene practices to reinforce the high standards of food safety that we require.
"We have also put in place a new, highly experienced team, including a new restaurant manager and a new area manager.
"We are confident that the restaurant now has in place the highest standards of food hygiene, which was recognised in today's hearing, and our customers can be assured that
their meals are carefully and properly prepared, cooked and served."