Tony Abel, chairman of Abel Homes, has scooped the prestigious Outstanding Achievement award, sponsored by Barclays, at the Norfolk Business Awards 2021 in recognition of his many years of hard and high-quality work.

The businessman, who founded the housebuilder more than 30 years ago, said he was “delighted” to win the Norfolk Business Award, which was sponsored by Barclays.

Mr Abel said: “If my father could see me win this award I think he would be so proud. I left school at 15 – I’ve never taken an exam.

“This all began when my wife Maggie and I drove past a few homes which hadn’t been finished and we thought ‘Why not?’

“Then we did a few in Hingham – my wife sketched the houses and I drove the JCB. I never dreamed we’d end up here.”

He added: “The lesson I’ve always tried to remember is that your word is your honour. If you promise a customer you’re going to do something, you deliver.

“When I talk to young people about running a business, I say it’s actually quite simple. Work hard, get good people around you, look after the customers and watch the bottom line.”

Although the honour is for Mr Abel, he said he “couldn’t have done it” without his wife and Watton-based team.

“Maggie has been with me from the start,” he said. And the business has always pushed to be environmentally-friendly wherever it can.

“We moved to be as sustainable as possible in 2013 – before climate change was really on the agenda for a lot of households,” said Mr Abel. “We did it because we thought it was the right thing to do, even if it meant more cost for us.”

The judges felt that Mr Abel and his team have been pioneering new-home construction in the East of England since the 1990s and notably here in Norfolk.

They said he has been a leading figure in the business community for over 30 years, ensuring the business has been ahead of curve, with his team leading the construction of low-energy, efficient homes.

The ethos of the business is to continue the development of the green agenda and support low-energy consumption in domestic properties.