I APPLAUD Bernie Steed's campaign for real pasties in pubs (Letters April 5) and am pleased that he found one in Meavy.

The refusal of pubs to serve a straightforward steak pasty is so determined and widespread that it smacks of a conspiracy.

The only other pub I have found in the area that offers an honest oggie is the quaint Highwayman at Sourton.

Two others, that shall be nameless, did have pasties, but one came with obligatory chips which served only to double the price and the other was a villainous object filled with meat-flavoured mush and decorated with a rather tired salad 'garnish'.

Cornwall doesn't do much better. Even a pub that described itself as a typical tin miner's inn remained pastyless.

The outstanding winner was the Pandora at Mylor Bridge. It suffered a major fire just over a year ago but has since reopened and deserves revisiting.

Hamish Halls

Harrowbeer Lane

Yelverton