1. Select your meat carefully, if the meat is to remain succulent it should have some fat through it. I find that leg beef or shin is good.

2.Toss the cubed meat in seasoned flour and fry until browned. Experiments have now established that this does not in fact seal the juices in the meat but it does lead to a good colour and a richly flavoured gravey.

3.For a long cooking stew don’t put the vegetables in at the start, put them about half way through or else they will be in flitters by the time the meat is cooked.

4.Streaky Bacon (either a chopped piece or some rashers) is a great flavour enhancer for a stew.

5.Don’t be a slave to times, the stew is ready when the meat is tender.This time can vary according to the individual beast. Keep tasting.

6.Thickning of a stew is best done at the end of cooking.Drain off the juices,heat them and whisk in some roux (equal quantities of butter and flour melted together) then stir the thickened juices back into the stew.

7.Don’t be afraid to use gravey browning it is tasteless and there is nothing worse than a pale stew.

8. Try slicing potatoes and layering them on top of the casserole for the last hour of cooking (as in Lancashire Hot Pot)

9. Serve a thin stew with noodles as the French do.

10.Lift a dull stew with some walnuts (add crunch) anchovies (add an un-fishy savour) or with a little vinegar and brown sugar (as the Belgians do).

11. Stews actually improve with being made the previous day and re-heated.

12. Season at the begining by all means but also check for seasoning at the end.

13. Do enough for 2 or 3 meals as your about it, stew freezes excellently.