Tesco has reportedly narrowed down the search for a successor to Sir Richard Broadbent to two candidates as it seeks to rebuild its reputation.

It has shortlisted Sir Ian Cheshire, who recently left Kingfisher, and John Allan, the chairman of housebuilder Barratt Developments, for the chairman role according to Sky News.

The grocer is thought to be hoping to finalise the position in the next few weeks, although the process could take longer than that.

Broadbent announced he would step down last year after it emerged that profits had been overstated by £263m because of the inaccurate booking of revenue from suppliers to the supermarket.

Tesco suspended nine executives over the scandal, four of whom have since left the company and one of whom was subsequently reinstated.

Whoever becomes the retailer’s next chairman will have to deal with the long-term consequences of the accounting scandal, as well as helping Dave Lewis, the new chief executive, navigate a tough environment for food retailers.