It’s a road I’ve driven along hundreds of times in my 10-plus years living in Kent and, like so many, I probably have tunnel vision when using such a familiar route.

That’s the day-to-day reality of commuting along a key link between Ashford and Canterbury.

So when my partner remarked to me about doing a road trip along the A28, I wasn’t entirely sure at first about what the attraction was…

But as our Saturday afternoon would soon reveal, we were in for a treat.

Taking a step back and looking at what the 15-mile stretch between the town and the city actually offers, you can fill your (car) boot with an array of wonderful things for your home, garden and yourself.

I am a self-confessed foodie and love seeking out places offering Kentish produce and it’s here that our road trip would focus.

Our first stop, just five minutes outside Ashford is the family-run Perry Court Farm. It stretches across 800 acres, with 187 acres dedicated to apple, pear and cherry orchards and fields of strawberries and vegetables.

Attached is a wonderful farm shop selling their produce. It is also home to a cheese counter, butchers and fish stall as well as daily deliveries of fresh bread from surrounding bakeries.

Stepping up to the entrance is a fabulously colourful display of the most wide-ranging varieties and sizes of squash and pumpkins I’ve possibly ever seen.

Inspiration is immediately flowing and we want to grab one to work into a recipe to cook up for dinner.

Then just inside the front door and stacked up all along the side wall is a whole host of different apples picked from the adjoining fields.

I would defy anyone not to be taken in by the fresh produce with seasonal goodies on the shelves - and with it all being loose you can buy what you need rather than what’s been pre-packaged as is frequently the way in the supermarkets.

But I’m under no illusions that for most people, shopping here would be considered an indulgence. I’m certainly not doing my weekly shop there but for an occasional treat, why not?

What it does feel like is that there is a great growing scene in the county at a time when it seems on an almost weekly basis, here at KentOnline, we are reporting that a planning application is submitted to build on fields.

After all, Kent is the Garden of England, and it is places like here which celebrate the best the county has to provide and are important to support.

And, we’re only just getting started…

Only about five minutes down the road is the tucked-away hidden gem Stour Valley Game butchers.

As the name suggests and as we’re just entering the game season, the counter is festooned with a selection of game, sausages and beef, lamb, chicken and pork.

I ask the man behind the counter about their supplies and am pleased to hear the produce is all caught in Kent, making it as fresh as it comes.

Pondering my options, and as it’s the start of the season, I go for venison steaks, wild boar sausages and pick out some rabbit too.

By the way, the black pudding is some of the best I’ve ever had - rich and peppery, it went really well in a ragu with the wild boar sausages.

At about £4.50 per venison steak and the other items around the same each (for what turned out to be excellent quality, fresh and local produce), I feel like it’s worth paying a little bit extra for something a little special and a bit different to my standard supermarket fare.

I rarely use a proper butcher’s counter but I can’t wait to stock up again.

If farm shops are your thing then there’s a second one still on the A28, at Chilham.

Albeit smaller and more of a village shop vibe rather than on the scale of Perry Court, it’s still well-stocked with essentials and local produce and we grabbed some Kentish strawberries for our pudding.

Away from the food and drink for a second, what I think struck me most about this little jaunt was actually looking around a bit more and not seeing it as my daily commute - but really that it is a celebration of everything great about living in Kent.

Carved out through the Stour Valley and following the river between Ashford and Canterbury, the A28 is surrounded by rolling fields, quaint and beautiful villages with the backdrop of the Kent Downs showcasing the natural beauty of where we live.

And now with the booming wine industry in the Garden of England, we’re seeing even more fields filled with vines.

There’s also national cycle route 18 linking Canterbury and Ashford and the whole area is crisscrossed with walking routes through the Kent Downs and ancient woodlands such as King’s Wood and plenty of other trails tailing away from villages.

Among those are Wye and Chilham - two of the most quintessentially Kentish villages you could come across.

We’re blessed to have some very pretty places and historic cities, towns and villages in Kent.

Entering Chilham, it almost feels like you’re stepping back in time. The roads are so narrow and the buildings so old that it gives the impression very little has changed in hundreds of years.

The only thing that has is the advent of the car demanding the village square becoming the main car park.

With brick-built cottages - with white wooden weatherboarding and lots of wooden beams as the church bells toll - it feels like a place where time stood still (if you ignore the cars).

And here within one of these historic buildings is housed The Tudor Peacock - purveyor of “fine Kentish wines”, it says.

The smell of wood is the first thing that strikes you alongside the glass floor looking down into the cellar and the wall of wine with a selection from vineyards across the county.

It’s a buzzing Saturday lunchtime with tables of friends and families chatting away and laughing enjoying a cheeseboard and their chosen bottle chilling nicely.

On the subject of wines, head from Chilham into the next village of Chartham and you’re in the home of one of Kent’s vineyards.

The family-run Chartham Vineyard was first planted in 2013 and has just six acres of vines which can be seen from the side of the road - which is comfortably on the smaller side of the scale.

They only open the cellar door on Saturdays to offer tastings, buy bottles and take part in pre-booked tours around the vines with guided tastings - definitely try the Pinot Gris.

I’ve visited a couple of Kent’s wineries and vineyards in the past but this one has a very different feel, set on a family-owned farm.

It’s far less industrial - largely due to the fact the wine is made off-site - and is sold from a converted stable house and the tastings are held out in a grand old barn.

There’s a real family affair here from owner Roz Waller, whose family has owned the farm for the best part of 70 years, working alongside her husband while their extended family are also involved in looking after the vines and running the business.

So if you’ve treated yourself then you can also have a go at getting something for your home and garden.

Chartham Vineyard even has a gallery and shop showcasing local crafts and artworks.

But if wine isn’t your cup of tea then the road is also home to the Canterbury Cider - another family-run farm operating out of Bilting Grange Farm - just a few minutes on from Perry Court Farm.

The business has produced award-winning and acclaimed cider using recipes dating back to owner Robert Maylam’s father, who produced cider in old sherry barrels on the farm.

Apples are sourced from the fruit farms in the Stour valley and close to the hamlets of Bilting and Godmersham - also both on or close by the A28.

Opening times are limited but the family can often be seen around the various farmers markets in Kent, including upcoming festive fairs, according to their Facebook page.

Our final stop before reaching Canterbury is the Chartham Garden Centre which could be the place for something to spruce up the home which has an extensive plant selection for both indoors and outdoors.

We often see statements and criticisms that all of Kent is being concreted over and what a terrible place it is to live in now.

But if this one afternoon’s trip taught me anything, it’s to sometimes take a step back and appreciate what we have here on our own doorstep.

Whether that be the food and drink offerings, the peace and quiet of a country walk or cycle ride or just enjoying a drive in what is still almost entirely undeveloped countryside, Kent really is quite special.