Along with Bok Tower Gardens and Spook Hill, Lake Wales, Florida is lesser known for a soup cannery that was started in a family garage.  Soup that was so good it ended up on the moon.   The cannery opened in 1956 but the story begins long before.  I’ll explain.

Back during the incredible Florida land boom of the 1920s (thanks mainly to Henry Flagler’s railroad), Carl and Bertha Hinshaw moved to Lake of the Hills, about a mile from where I now live, to be close to Mrs. Hinshaw’s aging mother.  There they met up with J.L. Kraft, head of a famous cheese company, and they made plans to develop a magnificent golfing community on the site.

Then came the real estate bust of the early ’30s (sound familar).  Kraft and the other investors bailed and returned to the north, Carl died of pneumonia and Bertha, her daughter, Suzanne and her son Carl, Jr., opened a small restaurant in their home.  She named it after her daughter–Suzanne’s Tavern–but neighborhood concern convinced her to change the name to its present one–Chalet Suzanne.
                                                           

Carl, Jr. went off to war in the Pacific and (I forgot to mention, the place had a landing strip) daughter, Suzanne flew away with a regular customer and settled in New York leaving Bertha alone again.

The little restaurant thrived after Mr. and Mrs. Duncan Hines stopped by during a motor trip through the state and the Chalet Suzanne ended up in the Adventures In Good Eating.

A devastating fire destroyed much of the business but when Junior returned from the war rebuilding began using what materials were available.    The stable, the chicken house and other outbuildings were utilized creating the 14-level unusual architectural design in place today for the 30 guest rooms and five dining rooms.

When the soup cannery was begun it took off like a rocket, literally.   Romaine is the signature soup, served with each dinner but is labled “Moon Soup.”  It’s the variety astronauts chose to take with them aboard Apollo 15 and the lunar lander in 1973.  The Russians served it on their rendezvous with Apollo 16.  Thirteen varities in all are canned and shipped to specialty food stores all over the world.                                            

Four generations of the Hinshaw family have operated the Chalet Suzanne.  It’s a pretty nice place to stay and eat.  The dining is gourmet with prices to match.   Florida Trend Magazine has awarded  it the prestigious Golden Spoon Award.  For breakfast you can order broiled grapefruit with butter and brown sugar.  Duncan Hines may have liked it.  I didn’t.

Tours of the cannery are free and signage is ample on U.S 27 between Lake Wales and Dundee.