Prep the beef: Pat the beef cubes dry with kitchen paper — this is crucial for a good sear. In a large bowl, toss the beef with the flour, salt and pepper until every piece is lightly coated. You’ll hear a soft rustle as the flour falls away, and the beef should look dusty but not caked.

Sear the meat in batches: Heat 1½ tablespoons of olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over a medium-high heat until it shimmers and gives off a faint haze. Add half the beef in a single layer — don’t overcrowd the pan. Let it cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until the underside is a deep, dark brown and you can smell that rich, savoury aroma. Turn the pieces and cook for another 2–3 minutes on the other side. Transfer to the slow cooker insert and repeat with the remaining oil and beef. The pan should have lovely brown bits stuck to the bottom — that’s pure flavour.

Soften the onions and garlic: Reduce the heat to medium and add the diced onions to the same pan. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up those brown bits from the bottom. Cook for 4–5 minutes until the onions turn translucent and start to soften — you’ll see them go from white to a pale gold, and the kitchen will smell sweet and savoury. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer, just until you can smell it.

Add the tomato purée and stock: Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. It will darken slightly and smell richer. Pour in the hot beef stock and the Worcestershire sauce, and stir well to lift every last scrap of flavour from the pan. The liquid will look a bit thin and dark, but that’s exactly right.

Combine everything in the slow cooker: Pour the onion and stock mixture over the beef in the slow cooker. Add the bay leaves and dried thyme, then tuck the carrots, celery and potatoes down into the liquid. Give everything a gentle stir — the vegetables should be mostly submerged. At this point, the stew looks fairly brothy, but it will thicken as it cooks.

Cook low and slow: Put the lid on the slow cooker and set it to low for 6–8 hours, or high for 3–4 hours. After about 4 hours on low, your kitchen will start to smell deeply savoury — that beefy, herby aroma that signals dinner is on its way. When the time is up, the beef should be so tender that it falls apart with a gentle prod from a fork. The potatoes will be soft on the outside but hold their shape, and the carrots will be yielding but not mushy.

Add the peas and finish: Stir in the frozen peas — they don’t need long, just 5 minutes to heat through. The peas will bring a pop of bright green against the deep brown of the stew. Taste and adjust the seasoning with extra salt and pepper if needed. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Serve and garnish: Ladle the stew into deep bowls and scatter over the chopped parsley. The steam will carry the scent of thyme and beef, and the gravy should be thick enough to cling to the vegetables. Serve straight away with crusty bread or mashed potatoes.