An efficient preparation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural from sucrose, a renewable resource, is reported herein, following a sequence of four steps catalyzed by reusable cation-and anion-exchange resins: hydrolysis, dehydration, glucose/fructose isomerisation and dehydration. The title compound, a key building block in current industrial chemistry, was isolated in its pure form without chromatographic purification in an overall yield of 50%. (c) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved