Slow cooker beef bourguignon

Name: Slow cooker beef bourguignon
Ingredients: 1kg/2lb 4oz braising beef, such as shin, cheek, brisket or stewing or chuck steak, cut into 4–5cm/1½– 2in chunks; 250g/9oz shallots, peeled and larger ones halved; 5 garlic cloves, 4 halved, 1 crushed; 200g/7oz bacon lardons or smoked streaky bacon, sliced into strips; 4–5 large carrots, peeled and each cut into 3–4 chunks; about 6 fresh thyme sprigs; 3 tbsp plain flour; 3 tbsp tomato purée; 1 beef stock pot or stock cube, crumbled; 375ml/13fl oz red wine; 15g/½oz butter; 125g/4½oz button mushrooms, larger ones halved or all thickly sliced if preferred; salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 tbsp cornflour (optional); freshly steamed green vegetables and creamy mashed potato, to serve