Ways to make stew really tasty

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Just that really
I usually brown onions and meat, deglaze with plenty of red wine add stock pots and a couple of bay leaves
Pretty much same every time but sometimes it's just a bit bland. Any top tips please?

Also, when you caramelise the onions add a finely chopped carrot and a celery stalk.

Agree with carrot and celery along with the onion.
And a spoonful of redcurrant jelly at the end, if you like a bit of sweetness

A slice of orange peel (a few inches) really lifts the flavour of a beef stew.

carrots, celery, onions standard
any other veg knocking about, sprouts, parsnips, potatoes etc
bacon if I’ve got a pack open.
all browned off. Then add tomato puree and flour to cook out.
redwine

i then open my herb and spice cupboard and throw in whatever is there
rosemary, thyme, bay.
stock pot, marmite, liquid seasoning, gravy salt, celery salt, miso paste, Worcestershire sauce, red currant jelly /cranberry sauce. Balsamic vinegar. Dried mushrooms rehydrated and whizzed up.

dumplings. Double the self raising flour to veg suet (e.g 100g flour to 50g suet). Mix with cold water to a dropping consistency. Maybe a spoonful of horseradish

serve with bread and butter, or in a big Yorkshire, mash, roasties, or some sort of potato!

Can't beat a good dollop of Bovril. That's if you want it to taste beefy of course. Too many random ingredients mask the beef flavour.

Celery
Fennel
Fat, chunky carrots
Shallots or leeks instead of onions.
As pp said a curl of orange peel. There's an amazing Nigel Slater oxtail stew with orange, celery and star anise (I love star anise but apparently it's a love or hate thing).
Stews and similar dishes are always more amazing if they go in the oven for a couple of hours instead of just on the hob, it makes all the difference.
I keep Essential Cuisine beef glace in the fridge to pump up the flavour of beefy things when necessary.

I added a can of Potts beef stock to my stew the other day and it added depth to the flavour

Dash of worcester sauce and a dash of soy, you want some umami.

I did a chicken casserole/stew last week and it was really flavourful! I'm fussy, so there wasn't much in there but I recommend the following:

Slow cooker (on high for 12 hours):

Large chicken breasts (enough for everyone and 1 extra if you have it)
A few rashers of bacon
Potatoes cut into quite small chunks
Carrots cut into chunks rather than slices
Onion granules
Worcestershire sauce
1 x beef oxo cube
Lots of white pepper
A load of bistro beef gravy granules
Boiling water

I usually put the veg at the bottom, add the seasoning for the gravy and water to cover what has gone in then add the chicken and bacon before topping up the water.

Dumplings get added 45 mins before serving up.

Obviously you can add whatever other veg you like in there, but honestly I think the longer it cooks, the better it tastes!

My dad liked a tin of marrow fat peas and a tin of Heinz baked beans in a casserole. I didn't like either, but can't deny the flavour it adds!

Just remembered tomato puree as well in my last recipe posted - sorry!

We don’t eat beef so our stews/ casseroles are either chicken or just veg and I always chuck in an appropriate tin of soup as well as the stock pot . It is what my late mum used to do .

Salt Fat Acid Heat.

It's a book but also a good thing to consider when cooking. I reckon for a stew, you're probably missing the Acid element. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar.

(also always keep some MSG handy for when you need a bit more pep in your meal!)

Also, the above is a book, interesting read if you like that sort of thing.

Salt.

DECENT meat of the right cut, slowed cooked in a cast iron pan. huge difference.

Braising or stewing steak from the supermarket is utter shit. Get shin of beef or oxtail, cheeks etc. Much more flavour. And le creuset type pan (mine is actually aldi - these are a good thing to buy knock offs!)

Mustard all the way! (I also use soy sauce, gravy granules, sometimes with a bit of parmesan and tomato puree... )

Worcestershire sauce, mixed herbs and a couple of weetabix to thicken!

Henderson's Relish.

I'd be all over the Worcester sauce. Although I would also suggest a drop of peanut butter as well .. yes. Really

Add some leeks & more seasoning - bit of celery salt and a couple of sage leaves will really give it depth. I know some people will say only with pork but I love sage with beef, lamb or chicken too .
I always think stew tastes better the day after it's made to give the flavours time to develop, so make it the day before you need it and then reheat it gently & thoroughly .

I agree with a PP that the quality of the meat really matters, when I use stewing steak form our local farm butchery it is always delicious and meltingly tender. I add a tablespoon of tomato puree and one of harissa to mine. Cook long and slow or in the pressure cooker. It always tastes better the day after it is made as well.

Worcester sauce and pearl barley.

Carrot celery onion all cut up small or buy a frozen mix.
Brown meat in lard, remove, deglaze with wine, fry veg
Add meat back in. Add liquid watch the quantity- (use home made stock if possible) bay leaf and bag of dried mixed herbs.
Add umami - either umami paste or miso, but watch it doesn't get too salty.
Cook till tender.
Barley and lamb is a good shout but some don't like the texture of barley.
Cannellini beans also nice. You can use one drained tin, mash half add it to thicken the stew and add the rest as themselves.

YY to Parmesan rind. ( freeze them for future use)
Dash of lemon to brighten.

Dash of Lee and Perrin's Worcestershire sauce.