Use beef chuck or shoulder (these cuts may go under a different name in UK). Slice some carrots and possibly use small white onions. Dust the pieces of beef in flour and pan sear in your stew pot the bottom of which you have slicked with cooking oil to about 1 cm (for a slow cooker you'll have to use a separate pan). Remove the meat and season it well with salt and pepper. Keeping your pot hot on the cook top add the carrots and onions just to glaze and then return the beef to the pot. Add some beef stock (canned or boxed is alright), a glass of red wine. Toss in a bay (laurel) leaf and perhaps some fresh thyme. The liquid should not completely submerge the meat. You can add potatoes if you like. Cover and simmer on the cooktop or in the oven. I think that would be gas mark 4. It's done when the meat is tender.

Foodpickle's host site Food52, has a lot of stew recipes from member contributors. You can look them over here:
http://www.food52.com/recipes/search?recipe_search=beef+stew&commit=Go