Nearly a decade ago the Health Education Authority funded research into nutrition education in catering education in England and Wales [Carlson & Kipps (1988)International Journal of Hospitality Management 7, 139-150]. As part of a new study funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the research methodology was repeated on the same subject group: institutions where catering personnel are likely to be educated. The current research reveals that a large proportion of students studying for catering-related qualifications are receiving little or no nutrition education, and are thus entering the catering industry ill-equipped to react positively to the recommendations of current nutritional guidelines, as exemplified by the Health of the Nation white paper. The attitude of lecturers towards the teaching of food preparation methods aimed at producing more healthy dishes was, however, more positive than previously. In addition, a number of lecturers expressed great concern over the lack of nutrition education, particularly in NVQ courses.