A popular eatery has been fined £3,500 after admitting eight charges of contravening food hygiene regulations.

An environmental health officer found kitchen walls and floors at The Yard bar, Brook Street, Ilkley, were “filthy” when she carried out an inspection last June.

Grease was running down the wall under a canopy, a bag of raw sausages were left next to a covered tray of cooked food, and a bag of raw burgers was lying on top of a bag of ready-to-eat lettuce, Bradford and Keighley Magistrates heard yesterday.

The inspector also found carrot and coriander soup in the kitchen which had been made ten days earlier.

Towels used to dry hands had been used to clean work surfaces.

Bradford Council brought the prosecution against owners Project Pub Company (Ilkley) Ltd.

Harjit Ryatt, prosecuting, told the court previous inspections of the premises had also resulted in concerns.

Representing the company, Gary Hodgson told how it had taken action to improve its management, training and records. The Yard went on to regain a four-star food hygiene rating in its last Bradford Council inspection in December. He said: “The company have taken all the steps they were advised to during their interview, and really it’s following the Bible to a letter.”

Mr Hodgson showed the magistrates examples of good customer reviews from consumer website TripAdvisor. No customer complaints were received, he said, no injury was caused, and actual cross-contamination of raw and cooked food was never established.

The court was told how the company’s head chef at the time of the inspection had taken 28 unforeseen days off in a two month period, following two family bereavements.

Magistrates took the company’s guilty plea into account. In addition to imposing a fine, they ordered the company to pay £1,250 costs to Bradford Council, a further £675 prosecution costs, and a victim surcharge of £120.

The company’s managing director, Adam Lewis, spoke at the hearing.

In a statement after the hearing, Project Pub Company (Ilkley) said it was surprised proceedings were taken to such lengths given the “exceptional circumstances”. Magistrates were told business was down by thousands of pounds since court proceedings began.