A hotshot Long Island chef worked as Jeffrey Epstein’s personal cook and made multiple trips to the pedophile’s private island, according to newly released government files.
Francis Derby was employed as Epstein’s high-flying private chef from May to November 2012 — satisfying his boss’s insatiable appetite for “jerky” — before becoming the top cook at New York City’s now-closed meat hotspot “The Cannibal,” according to hundreds of emails recently released by the Department of Justice.
Derby, who appears in the Epstein files more than 1,300 times, is now back working on Long Island at the ritzy Halyard Restaurant in Greenport.
There are no indications in the messages that Derby was aware of any wrongdoing, and the chef has denied all knowledge of Epstein’s illicit activities.
“In May 2012, I was hired as a cook for Jeffrey Epstein,” Derby told The Post in a statement. “At the time I accepted the position, I had no knowledge of who Mr. Epstein was and was unaware of any allegations of misconduct.
“My role was to procure food, plan meals, and provide culinary service.
“My responsibilities were in the kitchen,” he said. “My only time outside the kitchen was serving meals in the dining room and staff quarters, and I was directed to avoid common areas. I left the position of my own accord in November 2012.”
Epstein had been a convicted felon and registered sex-offender since 2008. He was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell in 2019.
The DOJ files indicate that during Derby’s work for the sex fiend, the chef made multiple trips to Little St. James at Epstein’s behest in his capacity as private chef, which Epstein called “Little St. Jeff’s” — but which locals dubbed “Pedophile Island,” the Los Angeles Times has reported.
During his short time with Epstein, Derby sent a ton of emails to numerous redacted people about cooking, properly storing and transporting bizarre massive amounts of “jerky” for his boss.
“[Epstein] said he was gonna start eating regular food again so he might be eating less jerky,” Derby wrote in an email in October 2012.
“That said he has 6 bags of it in the downstairs freezer for his next trip. I believe it should be enough to get him through,” the chef said.
That same month, Epstein wrote to Derby complaining about the lack of jerky, telling the chef, “I only eat one thing.”
Another email claimed Epstein — who compared the taste of babies to cream cheese with his associates in a previous exchange — went through more than 70 pounds of jerky in a span of a couple of weeks.
In another email thread, a message from a redacted person asked Derby if he would be willing to teach others how to make his famous jerky before his last day on the job, to which the chef responds that he’d be willing to teach a class if Epstein agrees to a give him an extra paycheck.