Her brother-in-law has led a personal crusade against poaching and protecting vulnerable wildlife . So Pippa Middleton ’ s decision to enjoy a plate of whale meat on holiday may have been rather difficult for Prince William to swallow . The 31-year-old , who styles herself as a food and lifestyle writer , has told of eating Minke whale – even though it is largely banned worldwide . She boasted of tucking into the delicacy in Norway , to the horror of environmental campaigners who say she is helping promote an ‘ unimaginably cruel ’ trade . Scroll down for video . Pippa Middleton has been slammed for ‘ promoting the cruel and unnecessary whaling industry ’ . She 's pictured here at the 2014 GQ Men Of The Year awards in London . In a gushing newspaper feature , the Duchess of Cambridge ’ s younger sister described how the smoked meat was served in a ‘ wonderfully convivial atmosphere ’ at the Juvet Landscape Hotel in north-west Norway . Tucking into a starter prepared carpaccio-style – raw and very thinly sliced – she wrote : ‘ We dined on smoked whale carpaccio ( which tastes similar to smoked salmon but looks more like venison carpaccio ) . ’ Ms Middleton said that she ate whale carpaccio in a 'convivial atmosphere on a large communal table ' Earlier she had enjoyed a steam bath and rubbed ice on her body in a ‘ snow spa ’ at the upmarket hotel , where she spent the night in a £170-a-night ‘ designer pod ’ . The hunting and importation of whale meat is banned in Britain , as it is in most parts of the world , by both the International Whaling Commission and by the international wildlife convention CITES . But Norway – as well as Japan and Iceland – has exploited legal loopholes that allow it to opt out of regulations . Last year it killed around 730 Minke whales , the highest number since it broke the moratorium on commercial whaling in 1993 . Campaigners have long called for a crackdown , arguing the hunting process is ‘ unimaginably cruel and inhumane ’ . The socialite , writing in the Daily Telegraph , said that she ate whale at the £123-a-night Juvet Landscape Hotel ( pictured ) Ms Middleton said that the dinner was cooked by Knut , the hotel ’ s owner . The Duchess of Cambridge 's sister said that the establishment was an 'architectural gem ' Pippa Middleton would be breaking British law if she had tucked into the whale meat in the UK . Britain has signed up to the International Whaling Commission , which makes it illegal to import or eat whale meat in this country . Whaling is also prohibited under EU law , but Norway is not a member of the EU . Last season , 731 minke whales were killed in Norway off the country ’ s northern coasts . The whaling season runs from April to August , when they are hunted from boats using grenade-propelled harpoons , which are shot from cannons into the whale ’ s chest . In the 1960s and 70s whale meat was commonly served in Norwegian school canteens and as part of military rations . It then fell out of favour , but has recently been adopted as a gourmet food trend . Fish market manager Marius Tvethaug said : ‘ Smoked whale is one of the oldest ways to keep food for a long time . And we ’ ve been catching whale since the Stone Age . I would say it ’ s kind of back to our roots. ’ Even with modern harpoons powered by explosives , the mammals often died a ‘ slow and painful ’ death . Critics said Miss Middleton ’ s decision to eat whale meat was at odds with the stance taken by Prince William – even though he too has been attacked for continuing to hunt wild game . She has also been photographed hunting in the past . Vanessa Williams-Grey , of Whale and Dolphin Conservation , said : ‘ It might have been better for Pippa to take a whale watch trip in Norway . She might then have thought twice about condoning and indeed , promoting , this cruel and unnecessary trade. ’ Philip Mansbridge , UK director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare , said she was ‘ unwittingly setting a bad example ’ that may encourage other tourists . A spokesman for Miss Middleton , who travelled on the junket for the Daily Telegraph , refused to comment last night . But Knut Slinning , owner of Juvet Landscape Hotel , said he had no plans to stop serving whale meat because it has been eaten for ‘ many hundreds of years ’ . However , Siri Martinsen , of Norway ’ s animals rights group NOAH , said Miss Middleton has a ‘ special responsibility ’ not to support animal cruelty . Last year 731 minke whales suffered an agonising death at the hand of Norwegian whalers , according to WDC . Pictured is a minke whale on the deck of a Japanese vessel . Three Greenpeace inflatables interrupt whaling on board the Norwegian whaling vessel Kato in the Southern whaling grounds in the North Sea . Ms Middleton , a fitness fanatic , is currently preparing to take part in a 54-mile charity bike ride from London to Brighton in June , to raise money for the British Heart Foundation .
Middleton wrote about eating whale for a national newspaper travel story . She described eating it at the £ 123-a - night Juvet ##e restaurant . Whale And Dolphin Conservation staff said the news was ' disappointing ' The staff said Ms whales should have eaten whale watching instead .